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Prom   a   painting  by   Captain    Seth   Eastman,    reprodilced    in    Mrs.    Eastman's 
Daheotah;  or.  Life  and  Legendg  of  .the  Simuc  around  Fort  SneUing 


OLD  FORT  SWELLING 

1819-1858 


BY 

MARCUS  L.  HANSEN 


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PUBLISHED  AT  IOWA  CITY  IOWA  IN  1918  BY 
THE   STATE    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY   OF   IOWA 


V 


16844 


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THE   TORCH    PRESS 

CEDAR     RAPIDS 

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EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

The  establishment  in  1917  of  a  camp  at  Fort 
Snelling  for  the  training  of  officers  for  the  army 
has  aroused  euriositv  in  the  historv  of  Old  Fort 
Snelling.  Again  as  in  the  days  of  the  pioneer 
settlement  of  the  Northwest  the  Fort  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Minnesota  and  Mississippi  rivers  has 
become  an  object  of  more  than  ordinary  interest. 

Old  Fort  Snelling  was  established  in  1819  with- 
in the  Missouri  Territory  on  ground  which  later 
became  a  jmrt  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  Not 
until  1849  was  it  included  within  Minnesota 
boundaries.  Linked  with  the  early  annals  of 
Missouri,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minnesota, 
and  the  Northwest,  the  history  of  Old  Fort  Snell- 
ing is  the  common  heritage  of  many  common- 
wealths in  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley. 

The  period  covered  in  this  volume  begins  with 

the  establishment  of  the  Fort  in  1819  and  ends 

with  the  temporary  abandonment  of  the  site  as  a 

military  post  in  1858. 

Bex.t.  F.  Shambauck 

Office  of  the  Supekintendent  and  Editor 

The  State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa 

Iowa  City  Iowa 


>  ■' 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

The  position  which  the  military  post  holds  in 
western  history  is  sometimes  misunderstood.  So 
often  has  a  consideration  of  it  been  left  to  the  novel- 
ist's pen  that  romantic  glamour  has  obscured  the 
permanent  contribution  made  by  many  a  lonely  post 
to  the  development  of  the  surrounding*  region.  The 
western  fort  was  more  than  a  block-house  or  a  picket. 
Being  the  home  of  a  handful  of  soldiers  did  not  give 
it  its  real  importance:  it  was  an  institution  and 
should  be  studied  as  such.  Old  Fort  Snelling  is  a 
type  of  the  many  remote  military  stations  which 
were  scattered  throughout  the  West  upon  the  upper 
waters  of  the  rivers  or  at  intermediate  places  on  the 
interminable  stretches  of  the  westward  trails. 

This  studv  of  the  history  and  influence  of  Old  Fort 
Snelling  was  fii"st  undertaken  at  the  suggestion  of 
Dr.  Louis  Pelzer  of  the  State  University  of  Iowa, 
and  was  carried  on  under  his  supervision.  The  re- 
sults of  the  investigation  were  accepted  as  a  thesis  in 
the  Graduate  College  of  the  State  University  of  Iowa 
in  June,  1917.  Upon  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Benj.  F. 
Shambaugh,  Superintendent  of  The  State  Historical 
Society  of  Iowa,  the  plan  of  tlic  woik  was  changed, 
its  scope  enlarged,  many  new  sources  of  information 


viii  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

were  consulted,  and  the  entire  manuscript  rewritten. 

Connected  with  so  many  of  the  aspects  of  western 
history,  Old  Fort  Snelling  is  pictured  in  accounts 
both  numerous  and  varied.  The  reports  of  govern- 
ment officials,  the  relations  of  travellers  and  explor- 
ers, and  the  reminiscences  of  fur  traders,  pioneer 
settlers,  and  missionaries  show  the  Fort  as  each 
author,  looking  at  it  from  the  angle  of  his  particular 
interest,  saw  it.  These  published  accounts  are  found 
in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  in 
the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs,  and  in  the  works  of  travellers  and  pioneers. 
Many  of  the  most  important  sources  are  the  briefer 
accounts  printed  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collec- 
tions. The  author's  dependence  upon  these  sources 
of  information  is  evident  upon  every  page  of  this 
volume. 

But  not  alone  from  these  sources,  which  are  read- 
ily accessible,  is  this  account  of  the  Old  Fort  drawn. 
A  half-burned  diary,  the  account  books  of  the  post 
sutler,  letter  books  filled  with  correspondence  dealing 
with  matters  which  are  often  trivial,  and  statistical 
returns  of  men  and  equipment  are  sources  which 
from  their  nature  may  never  be  printed.  But  in 
them  reposes  much  of  the  material  upon  which  this 
book  is  based.  The  examination  of  all  the  docu- 
ments which  offered  any  prospect  of  throwing  light 
upon  the  subject  was  made  possible  for  the  author 
as  Research  Assistant  in  The  State  Historical  Society 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE  ix 

of  Iowa.  And  in  this  connection  I  wish  to  express 
my  appreciation  for  the  many  courtesies  whicli  I 
have  received  from  those  in  whose  custody  these 
sources  are  kept.  To  Dr.  Solon  J.  Buck,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  and  the 
members  of  the  library  staff  of  that  Society  I  am 
indebted  for  many  kindnesses.  Dr.  M.  M.  Quaife, 
Superintendent  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of 
Wisconsin,  placed  at  my  disposal  thousands  of  sheets 
of  transcripts  made  from  the  records  of  the  Indian 
Department  at  Washington  and  kept  in  the  library 
of  the  Historical  Society  at  Madison.  At  the  His- 
toi-ical  Department  of  Iowa  at  Des  Moines,  and  in 
the  library  of  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society 
at  Topeka  opportunity  was  granted  to  examine  valu- 
able manuscripts.  General  H.  P.  McCain,  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  United  States,  had  a  search  made  of 
the  records  on  file  in  the  archives  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment at  Washington,  and  such  papers  as  dealt  with 
Fort  Snelling  were  consulted  by  the  author. 

My  fellow  workers  on  the  stafT  of  The  State  His- 
torical Society  of  Iowa  have  often  aided  me  with 
suggestions  and  criticisms.  To  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Society,  Dr.  Benj.  P.  Shambaugh,  T  wish  to 
express  my  appreciation  not  only  for  the  advice, 
encouragement,  and  inspiration  which  he  freely 
gave,  but  also  for  the  willingness  with  which  he  made 
possible  the  investigation  of  every  clue  to  soui-ces  of 
information  by  correspondence  or  by  personal  visit. 


X  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

Moreover,  the  manuscript  has  been  carefully  edited 
by  him.  The  task  of  seeing  the  work  through  the 
press  has  been  performed  by  Associate  Editor  Dr. 
Dan  E.  Clark,  who  also  carefully  read  the  manu- 
script and  compiled  the  index.  Miss  Helen  Otto 
assisted  in  the  verification  of  the  manuscript. 

Marcus  L.  Hansex 

The  State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa 
Iowa  City    Iowa 


CONTEXTS 


Editor's  Introductiox 

Author's  Preface 

I.     A  Century  axd  a  Half  of  Foreign 
Rule 

II.  The  Evolution  of  Fort  Snelling 

III.  Forty  Years  of  Frontier  Duty 

IV.  Lords  of  the  North  . 
V.  A  Soldier's  World     . 

VI.     Glimpses  of  Garrison  I^ife 
VII.     The  Fort  and  Indian  Life 
VIII.     The  Sioux-Ciinn^KWA  Feuds 
IX.     The  FrR  Trade  .... 
X.     Soldiers  of  the  Cross 
XL     The  Fashionable  Tour 
XII.     The  Chippewa  Treaty  of  1837 
XIIL     Citizens  and  Soldiers 
Notes  and  References 
Index   ...... 


V 

vii 

1 

18 

31 

54 

73 

84 

103 

319 

135 

146 

159 

176 

187 

205 

251 


A  CENTURY  AND  A  HALF  OF  FOREIGN  RULE 

On  an  autumn  day  in  1766  Captain  Jonathan  Car- 
ver stood  upon  the  bluff  which  rises  at  the  junction 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Minnesota  rivers  and  viewed 
the  wonderful  landscape  of  prairie  and  wooded  val- 
leys that  lay  before  him.  As  a  captain  in  the  colonial 
troops  of  Connecticut  he  had  served  his  king  faith- 
fully in  the  late  war  A\dtli  France;  and  now  in  the 
days  of  peace  which  followed  the  glorious  victory  he 
sought  to  continue  his  usefulness  by  exploring  the 
vast  regions  which  had  been  added  to  the  domains 
of  Great  Britain  and  Spain.  Three  years  of  travel 
in  the  wilderness  taught  him  that  those  wild  lands 
would  not  always  be  the  haunt  of  savage  animals 
and  wandering  tribes. 

''To  what  power  or  authority  this  new  world  will 
become  dependent,  after  it  has  arisen  from  its  )> res- 
ent uncultivated  state,  time  alone  can  discover",  he 
later  wrote.  "But  as  the  seat  of  Empire,  from  time 
immemorial  has  been  gradually  progressive  towards 
the  West,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  at  some  future 
period,  mighty  kingdoms  will  emerge  from  these  wil- 
dernesses, and  stately  palaces  and  solenm  temples, 
with  gilded  spires  reaching  the  skios,  sii]t])1niit  Hie 

i 


OLD  FORT  SXELLING 


Indian  huts,  whose  only  decorations  are  the  barbar- 
ous trophies  of  their  vanquished  enemies. "  ^ 

Not  until  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  August,  1819, 
when  less  than  a  hundred  soldiers  of  the  Fifth 
United  States  Infantry  disembarked  opposite  the 
towering-  height  where  a  few  years  later  rose  the 
white  walls  of  Fort  Snelling,  did  the  nation  which 
was  to  rule  assert  its  power.  The  event  was,  indeed, 
epochal.  It  not  only  marked  a  change  in  the  sover- 
eignty over  the  vast  region,  but  it  also  made  possible 
the  development  of  those  factors  which  were  to  bring 
about  the  great  transformation. 

It  was  for  the  "upper  country"  that  this  fort  was 
built  —  a  country  stretching  from  the  Great  Lakes 
across  the  wooded  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Minnesota  rivers  to  the  plains  of  the  Missouri.  The 
history  of  this  region  is  marked  by  several  distinct 
periods:  the  coming  of  the  French  traders,  the 
supremacy  of  the  English  companies,  the  establish- 
ment of  military  posts  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
building  of  American  communities. 

Although  at  the  opening  of  the  second  decade  of 
the  nineteenth  century  the  American  troops  quar- 
tered on  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi  River 
were  on  soil  that,  in  name,  had  been  American  for 
sixteen  years,  and  although  they  looked  over  the 
river  to  land  that  had  since  1783  belonged  to  their 
country,  yet  they  had  in  fact  taken  possession  of  a 
foreign  land.  English,  French,  and  Spanish  flags 
had  at  various  times  waved  over  certain  parts  of  it. 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE 


Foreign  influence,  during  a  century  and  a  half,  had 
become  widespread  and  deeply  rooted. 

When  in  1634  Jean  Nicollet  visited  the  Wisconsin 
country  the  French  advance  into  the  upper  North- 
west had  begun."  From  1658  to  1660  Kadisson  and 
Groseilliers  wandered  among  the  tribes  and  brought 
the  first  canoe  loads  of  furs  to  Canada  from  the  far 
West.  Then  along  with  the  missionaries,  Hennepin 
and  Marquette,  came  the  coureurs  des  bois,  Nicholas 
Perrot  and  Daniel  Greyloson  Duluth.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  recite  in  detail  the  exploits  of  these  French- 
men and  their  successors.^  For  a  century  the  songs 
of  unknown  boatmen  rose  from  the  waters  of  the 
western  rivers;  unknown  traders  smoked  in  the 
lodges  of  Sioux  and  Chippewas ;  and  hardy  wander- 
ers whose  feats  of  discovery  are  unrecorded,  leaving 
behind  the  Missouri  River,  saw  from  afar  the  won- 
ders of  the  ' '  Shining  Mountains '  '.*  But  if  no  record 
of  them  remains,  their  influence  was  lasting.  Living 
with  the  natives,  supplying  their  needs  by  barter, 
and  marrying  the  Indian  girls,  the  French  gained  a 
remarkable  power  over  the  northwestern  tril)es, 
which  caused  them  to  consider  whoever  came  from 
Canada  their  friend,  even  after  the  English  govern- 
ment had  supplanted  the  French  in  power. 

West  of  the  lakes  the  transition  from  the  French 
to  the  English  rule  created  no  disturliances,  such  as 
Pontiac's  conspiracy  which  so  completely  disrupted 
the  trade  in  the  East."'  Continuing  the  French  pol- 
icy and  also  theii-  posts  and  voyageurs,  the  Scottish 


OLD  FORT  SNELLING 


merchants  of  Montreal,  organized  in  1784  as  the 
North  West  Company,  pushed  westward  from  Green 
Bay  and  southward  from  Lake  Winnipeg.  This  ad- 
vance was  continued  until  the  opening  years  of  the 
next  century.  Although  on  nominally  Spanish  terri- 
tory, the  tribes  on  the  upper  Missouri  were  won  from 
the  Spanish  traders  at  St.  Louis  by  such  severe  cut- 
ting in  prices  that  the  latter  could  not  compete.  The 
posts  of  the  North  West  Company  on  the  Red  River 
of  the  North  became  the  resort  for  many  of  the  west- 
ern tribes." 

The  diverting  of  the  trade  of  these  natives,  who 
would  naturally  have  come  down  the  Missouri  where 
American  traders  could  meet  them  and  be  benefited, 
was  noticed  by  President  Jefferson,  who,  on  January 
18, 1803,  wrote  to  Congress :  "It  is,  however,  under- 
stood, that  the  country  on  that  river  is  inhabited  by 
numerous  tribes,  who  furnish  great  supplies  of  furs 
and  peltry  to  the  trade  of  another  nation,  carried  on 
in  a  high  latitude,  through  an  infinite  number  of 
portages  and  lakes,  shut  up  by  ice  through  a  long- 
season."  In  this  same  message  was  included  a  rec- 
ommendation that  a  small  expedition  be  sent  up  to 
confer  with  the  tribes  with  respect  to  the  admission 
of  American  traders.^ 

But  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  altered  matters. 
It  was  not  only  a  matter  of  trade,  but  one  of  sover- 
eignty. A  double  movement  was  initiated :  one  to 
ascend  the  Mississippi  under  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  and 
the  other  the  Missouri  under  Captain  Meriwether 
Lewis  and  Lieutenant  William  Clark.     The  reports 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE  5 

of  these  two  expeditions  indicate  liow  firm  a  grip  the 
English  traders  had  upon  the  Indians  of  the  upper 
Northwest. 

The  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  ascended  the 
Missouri  and  passed  over  the  mountains  to  the  Col- 
umbia River  which  was  followed  to  the  coast.  The 
first  winter,  from  late  in  October,  1804,  to  early  in 
April,  1805,  was  spent  in  a  fort  which  was  con- 
structed in  the  village  of  the  Mandans,  near  the  loca- 
tion of  the  present  city  of  Mandan  in  North  Dakota. 
Here  was  abundant  opportunity  to  investigate  the 
fur  trade.  Nor  had  they  long  to  wait.  On  the  27th 
of  November,  seven  British  traders  arrived  from  the 
North  West  Company's  post  on  the  Assiniboine 
River  to  barter  with  the  river  tribes.  The  next  day, 
in  council  "with  the  Mandan  chiefs,  the  Americans 
warned  the  Indians  not  to  receive  medals  or  flags 
from  the  foreigners  if  they  wished  to  be  friends  with 
the  ''Great  American  Father".  A  day  later  this 
warning  was  communicated  to  the  traders  them- 
selves who  promised  to  refrain  from  any  such  acts.* 
How  well  they  kept  their  promises  later  events 
showed.  The  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition  was  only 
a  passing  pageant;  for  by  the  time  of  the  War  of 
1812,  the  only  American  traders  who  ventured  to  do 
business  on  the  upper  waters  were  practically  driven 
off  by  the  foreign  companies.^ 

The  report  of  Zebulon  M.  Pike  indicates  that  con- 
ditions were  much  worse  on  the  upper  Mississippi. 
Leaving  St.  Louis  on  August  9,  1805,  he  retui-ned  to 
that  place  on  Api-il  30,  1806.     About  two  months 


OLD  FORT  SNELLING 


were  spent  at  a  fort  erected  near  the  site  of  Little 
Falls,  where  he  left  a  few  men  and  pushed  on  with 
the  rest  of  the  company  to  Leech  Lake.  Conversa- 
tion with  the  fur  traders  and  councils  with  the  In- 
dians revealed  the  extent  of  the  commerce  of  the 
North  West  Companj\  He  heard  of  permanent 
trading  posts  on  the  south  side  of  Lake  Superior  and 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  St.  Croix  River ;  and  he  saw 
at  Lower  Red  Cedar  Lake,  Sandy  Lake,  and  Leech 
Lake  the  rude  stockades  and  log  buildings  which 
were  called  forts."  These  three  posts  were  included 
in  the  "Department  of  Fond  du  Lac"  and  were  the 
centers  from  which  in  the  year  1805,  trade  with  the 
Indians  was  carried  on  by  one  hundred  and  nine 
men.^^  By  means  of  the  rivers  and  portages  of  the 
wilderness  the  furs  were  brought  to  Canada  without 
passing  a  custom  house,  and  thus  the  United  States 
was  defrauded  of  duties  which,  it  was  estimated, 
would  amount  to  $26,000  annually.^^ 

Pike  objected  to  many  of  the  evident  signs  of  Brit- 
ish sovereignty:  the  British  flag  flying  above  the 
headquarters  of  the  department  of  Fond  du  Lac  was 
shot  down;^"^  many  of  the  Indians  were  induced  to 
give  up  their  British  medals  and  flags ; "  and  Hugh 
M'Gillis,  agent  of  the  company  for  the  district,  in 
response  to  Pike's  letter  of  complaint,  promised  in 
the  future  to  refrain  from  displaying  the  British 
flag,  presenting  medals,  or  talking  politics  to  the  In- 
dians.^'"' But  his  promises  were  no  more  seriously 
given  than  those  of  his  brethren  on  the  Missouri. 

Little  of  permanent  value  would  have  been  accom- 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE 


plished  if  the  acts  of  the  explorer  on  September  23, 
1805,  had  been  omitted.  The  instructions  issued  to 
Pike  on  July  30, 1805,  stated :  "You  will  be  pleased 
to  obtain  permission  from  the  Indians  who  claim  the 
ground,  for  the  erection  of  military  posts  and  trad- 
ing-houses at  the  mouth  of  the  river  St.  Pierre  [the 
Minnesota  River],  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and 
every  other  critical  point  which  may  fall  under  your 
observation ;  these  permissions  to  be  granted  in  for- 
mal conferences,  regularly  recorded,  and  the  ground 
marked  off.  "^' 

When  Pike  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota 
River,  the  natural  features  of  the  locality  convinced 
him  of  the  advantages  which  would  arise  from  a  fort 
located  at  that  point.  From  the  high  bluff  lying 
between  the  Minnesota  and  the  Mississippi  rivers 
the  course  of  both  streams  would  be  under  the  sweep 
of  the  guns.  Sheer  walls  of  stone  rising  from  the 
JVlississippi  could  prevent  invasion ;  and  the  fur  trad- 
ing business  could  be  regulated,  as  all  boats  entering 
or  leaving  the  Indian  country  must  use  one  or  the 
other  of  the  tw^o  rivers. 

A  "bower"  was  constructed  of  sails,  and  on  Sep- 
tember 23rd  Pike  spoke  to  the  Sioux  Indians  there 
assembled  concerning  the  transfer  of  Louisiana,  the 
futility  of  their  wars  with  the  Chippewas,  and  the 
evils  of  rum.  He  asked  them  to  cede  to  the  United 
States  lands  for  military  posts,  and  dwelt  on  the 
value  of  these  posts  to  the  Indians.  To  tliis  tlie 
chiefs  assented,  receiving  in  return  presents  valued 
at  $200  and  sixty  gallons  of  lif|uoi-.     The  terms  of 


8  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  treaty  provided  that  the  Sioux  should  cede  to  the 
United  States  tracts  ''for  the  purpose  of  establish- 
ment of  military  posts,"  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minne- 
sota and  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix.  A  money 
consideration  was  also  mentioned,  but  a  blank  was 
left  which  was  later  filled  in  by  the  Senate  with 
$2000.^^ 

The  government,  busy  with  distressing  foreign 
affairs,  neglected  to  make  a  permanent  occupation 
of  the  explored  region.  A  struggle  between  the 
American  and  British  governments  was  arising  over 
events  far  remote  from  the  northern  lakes  and 
woods.  But  the  Canadian  authorities  saw  the  neces- 
sity of  ha^dng  Indian  allies  for  the  approaching 
struggle.  As  early  as  1807  reports  from  the  West 
indicated  hostile  feelings  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
toward  the  Americans,  and  an  official  at  Mackinac 
wrote  on  August  30,  1807,  that  this  condition  ''is 
principally  to  l)e  attributed  to  the  influence  of  for- 
eigners trading  in  the  country.'"^  Captain  A.  Gray, 
who  was  sent  to  inquire  into  the  aid  which  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  and  the  North  West  Company 
could  furnish,  reported  to  Sir  George  Prevost,  com- 
mander of  the  British  forces  in  Canada,  on  January 
12, 1812 :  ' '  By  means  of  these  Companies,  we  might 
let  loose  the  Indians  upon  them  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  their  Western  frontier,  as  thev  have  a  most 

7  %/ 

commanding  influence  over  them."  In  a  memoran- 
dum of  plans  for  the  defence  of  Canada,  General 
Brock  noted  that  "the  Co-operation  of  the  Indians 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE 


will  be  attended  with  great  expeiice  in  presents  pro- 
visions &c.  "^'' 

To  this  alliance  the  Indians  gave  willing  ears. 
Their  interests  lay  with  the  British  rather  than  with 
the  Americans.  The  economic  stability  of  Canada 
rested  upon  the  fur  trade,  which  in  turn  could  sur- 
vive only  if  the  free  life  of  the  hunt  and  the  chase, 
which  the  Indians  loved  so  well,  was  left  them.  But 
\\4th  the  Americans  were  associated  the  making  of 
treaties  and  the  ceding  of  land.  The  Indians  pre- 
ferred to  see  upon  their  rivers  the  canoe  of  the  trad- 
er rather  than  the  flatboat  of  the  pionoer.^° 

The  coming  of  hostilities  was  received  joyfully  by 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  Northwest.  To  the  Indian 
it  meant  an  opportunity  to  avenge  past  wrongs ;  the 
Canadian  hoped  to  make  secure  his  present  condi- 
tion ;  and  the  American  settler  saw  a  chance  to  drive 
out  both  enemies  —  Indians  and  foreign  traders 
alike.  The  news  of  the  declaration  of  war  reached 
the  great  rendezvous  of  the  North  West  Company  at 
Fort  William  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior on  the  sixteenth  of  July,  1812,  and  the  next  day 
one  of  the  traders  left  for  the  interior  to  rouse  the 
natives.  The  agent  of  the  company  at  this  post 
wrote  enthusiastically :  *'I  have  not  the  least  doubt 
but  our  force,  will  in  ten  days  hence,  amount  to  at 
least  five  thousand  effective  men."" 

But  already  a  sufficient  number  of  Indians  had 
come  to  the  aid  of  the  Eiiglisli  to  render  service. 
On  the  very  next  day  the  English  flag  replaced  the 


10  OLD  FORT  SNELLIXG 

American  above  the  fort  at  Mackinac.  No  sooner 
had  the  news  of  the  beginning  of  hostilities  be- 
come known  at  the  neighboring  British  post  at  St. 
Joseph's  than  immediate  preparations  were  made. 
The  Indians  were  marshalled  for  the  attack,  and  a 
vessel  belonging  to  the  North  West  Company  was 
reqnisitioned.  The  morning  of  Jnly  17th  revealed 
the  American  fort  surrounded  by  Indians  and  com- 
manded by  a  cannon  which  had  been  dragged  upon 
a  height  of  land.  Seeing  the  futility  of  resistance 
the  garrison  surrendered  and  marched  out  before 
noon.  Of  the  total  attacking  force  of  1021  there 
were  Indians  to  the  number  of  715,  of  whom  the 
British  leader  wrote,  "although  these  people's  minds 
were  much  heated,  yet  as  soon  as  they  heard  the 
Capitulation  was  signed  they  all  returned  to  their 
Canoes,  and  not  one  drop  either  of  Man's  or  Ani- 
mal's Blood  was  Spilt,  till  I  gave  an  Order  for  a  cer- 
tain number  of  Bullocks  to  be  purchased  for  them".^' 
The  ease  with  which  the  capture  was  made  had  the 
effect  of  bringing  to  the  English  standards  all  the 
Indians  of  the  Northwest,  except  a  part  of  the  Mi- 
amis  and  Delawares,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they 
had  earlier  made  promises  of  neutrality.^' 

Although  the  capture  of  the  fort  at  Mackinac  was 
accomplished  without  any  Indian  atrocities,  the  suc- 
cess of  that  day  was  to  precipitate  a  massacre,  long 
to  rankle  in  the  minds  of  the  pioneers  of  the  West. 
Immediately  upon  hearing  of  the  capture  of  the  fort, 
General  Hull  wrote  to  Captain  Heald  in  command  at 
Fort  Dearborn  ordering  the  evacuation  of  that  post. 


PERIOD  OP  FOREIGN  RULE  11 

On  the  morning  of  August  15th,  as  the  small  garri- 
son of  fiftj'-five  regulars  and  twelve  militia  were 
leaving  the  fort  with  their  women  and  children,  they 
were  fallen  upon  by  a  force  of  five  hundred  Indians. 
Twenty-six  regulars,  all  the  militiamen,  two  women, 
and  twelve  children  were  murdered  on  tlie  spot.  An 
unknown  number  of  wounded  prisoners  were  that 
evening  victims  at  what  the  Indians  termed  a  "gen- 
eral frolic".^* 

In  the  meantime  Robert  Dickson,  who  for  many 
years  had  been  a  Prairie  du  Cliien  fur  trader,  was 
continuing  his  activities  as  recruiter  of  Indians  for 
British  service.  This  was  the  same  Dickson  who 
had  in  1802  received  an  American  commission  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace,^^  and  had  later  entertained  Pike 
and  his  men  "with  a  supper  and  a  dram",  impress- 
ing the  American  explorer  as  a  man  of  "open,  frank 
manners."'"  Now,  in  January,  1813,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Great  Britain  "agent  for  the  Indians  of 
the  several  Nations  to  the  Westward  of  Lake  Hu- 
ron"." 

By  June  23,  1813,  he  had  already  sent  eight 
hundred  Indians  to  Detroit  and  had  collected  six 
hundred  at  Mackinac.-^  The  summer  of  1813  was 
spent  in  operations  about  Detroit,  ])ut  in  the  winter 
he  was  again  active  in  the  West.'*'  Great  alarm  was 
felt  at  St.  Louis  when  rumors  came  telling  of  the 
great  force  he  was  collecting.^"  Accordingly,  late  in 
the  spring  of  1814,  Governor  William  Clark  of  Mis- 
souri Territory  pi-oceeded  up  the  Mississippi  and  at 
Prairie  duChien  built  a  stockade  named  Fort  Sli(M])y. 


12  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

It  was  garrisoned  by  about  sixty  men.^^  News  of 
this  movement  soon  came  to  Mackinac,  and  prompted 
the  British  commandant  to  prepare  a  counter-expe- 
dition. On  the  seventeenth  of  July  the  force  com- 
posed of  five  hundred  and  fifty  men,  of  whom  four 
hundred  were  Indians,  arrived  outside  the  post. 
Immediately  a  summons  to  surrender  was  sent. 
The  American  commander  at  first  refused,  but  two 
days  later  agreed  to  capitulate  providing  the  Indians 
would  be  kept  in  check.  The  surrender  took  place 
on  July  20th,  and  the  captor  christened  the  stockade 
Fort  McKay  in  honor  of  himself.^^ 

Thus,  the  Indians  about  the  Mississippi  had  been 
present  at  the  surrender  of  two  posts  and  had  par- 
ticipated in  a  massacre.  British  arms  had  been 
successful,  and  the  close  of  the  war  found  British 
prestige  very  high. 

The  Treaty  of  Ghent  on  December  24,  1914,  closed 
the  war ;  and  Article  IX  of  that  treaty  provided  that 
the  United  States  should  make  peace  with  the  Indian 
tribes  and  restore  to  them  the  "possessions,  rights 
and  privileges"  which  they  had  enjoyed  before  hos- 
tilities.^' President  Madison  accordingly  appointed 
William  Clark,  Ninian  Edwards,  and  Auguste  Chou- 
teau as  commissioners  to  enter  into  treaties  of  peace 
with  the  warring  tribes  of  the  upper  Mississippi  and 
the  upper  Missouri.  Only  with  extreme  difficulty 
was  word  of  the  negotiations  sent  to  the  tribes.  The 
hostilit}^  of  the  Indians  living  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Rock  River  made  it  necessary  that  the  messenger 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE  13 

proceed  to  Prairie  du  Chien  by  way  of  the  Missouri 
River,  and  tlien  across  country.^* 

Altliough  treaties  were  concluded  with  those  who 
did  come  to  the  council,  none  were  eager  to  negotiate. 
The  Chippewas,  Menominees,  and  Winnebagoes  even 
refused  to  send  delegations;  and  the  Sacs  of  Rock 
River  not  only  refused  to  attend,  but  also  showed 
their  contempt  by  continually  harassing  the  frontier 
settlements  during  the  time  of  the  negotiations.^^ 
This  opposition,  the  commissioners  reported,  was 
due  to  the  presence  of  an  unusual  number  of  British 
traders  among  the  Indians.  The  report  closed  with 
the  opinion  that  "the  exertion  of  the  military  power 
of  the  Grovernment  will  be  necessary  to  secure  the 
peace  and  safety  of  this  country. ' '  ^^ 

For  some  years  it  had  been  customary  for  the 
British  authorities  to  send  presents  to  the  Indians 
on  the  Mississippi,  and  Robert  Dickson  had  promised 
the  natives  that  the  practice  would  be  continued. 
But  with  the  coming  of  peace  this  custom  was  not 
allowed  by  the  Americans.  Accordingly,  in  June, 
1815,  word  was  sent  to  the  river  tribes,  that  all  who 
came  to  the  British  headquarters  at  Drummond 
Island  in  Lake  Huron,  would  be  supplied.  By  June 
19th  of  the  next  year  four  hundred  Indians  had  ar- 
rived at  the  post  — mainly  Sioux.  To  sympathetic 
ears  they  reported  that  they  feared  that  the  Amer- 
icans were  planning  their  extinction,  and  a  confed- 
eration was  being  formed  to  resist  the  building  of 
American  forts  on  the  Indian  lands.     As  late  as 


14  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

1825,  of  the  four  thousand  Indians  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  Drummond  Island,  three  thousand  came 
from  the  region  west  and  southwest  of  Lake  Hu- 
ron—  that  is  from  American  territory."'  These  mot- 
ley processions  which  trailed  through  the  American 
woods,  stopping  to  beg  at  the  American  posts,  were 
not  slow  in  being  reported.  It  did  not  take  a  vivid 
imagination  to  see  that  the  renewal  of  border  war- 
fare was  inevitable.^* 

Tliis  danger  was  increased  by  the  rapid  develop- 
ment of  the  West  following  the  war.  Just  as  over 
the  mountain  trails  and  down  the  rivers,  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  had  been  settled  before  the  war,  now 
the  States  of  the  Old  Northwest  received  their  pio- 
neers. Henry  Rowe  Schoolcraft,  who  made  his  first 
trip  down  the  Ohio  at  this  time  (1818),  remarked: 
' '  I  mingled  in  this  crowd,  and,  while  listening  to  the 
anticipations  indulged  in,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
war  had  not,  in  reality,  been  fought  for  'free  trade 
and  sailors'  rights'  where  it  had  commenced,  but  to 
gain  a  knowledge  of  the  world  beyond  the  Allegha- 
nies.  ...  To  judge  by  the  tone  of  general  con- 
versation, they  meant,  in  their  generation,  to  plow 
the  Mississippi  Valley  from  its  head  to  its  foot. ' '  ^^ 

The  flatboats  on  the  rivers,  the  crowded  ferries, 
and  the  caravans  crossing  the  prairies  were  familiar 
scenes.  In  The  Legend  of  Sleepy  HoUoiv,  which  ap- 
peared in  1819,  Washington  Irving  puts  this  fondest 
dream  into  the  mind  of  his  hero,  Ichabod:  ''Nay, 
his  busy  fancy  already  realized  his  hopes,  and  pre- 
sented to  him  the  blooming  Katrina  with  a  whole 
family  of  children,  mounted  on  the  top  of  a  wagon 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RL'LE  15 

loaded  with  household  trumpery,  with  pots  and 
kettles  dangling  beneath ;  and  he  beheld  himself  be- 
striding a  pacing  mare,  with  a  colt  at  her  heels,  set- 
ting out  for  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  or  the  Lord  knows 
where."  When  he  wrote  this  the  autlior  was  not 
using  his  imagination :  it  was  a  picture  he  saw 
ilaihV'^ 

The  extent  of  this  westward  movement  is  indicated 
by  the  provisions  made  for  the  political  organization 
of  these  growing  settlements.  Indiana  achieved 
statehood  in  1816  and  Illinois  in  1818.  Across  the 
river  in  Missouri  the  population  had  grown  from 
20,000  in  1810  to  66,000  in  1820,^^  and  the  weighty 
questions  concerning  her  admission  were  being  dis- 
cussed in  Washing-ton. 

With  an  expanding  frontier  brought  into  contact 
with  hostile  Indians,  trouble  was  bound  to  result. 
Various  plans  were  proposed  to  deal  with  the  prob- 
lem. It  was  reported  that  General  Jackson  would 
take  charge  of  active  military  operations  against  the 
Indians  of  the  upper  Mississippi."  One  agent  sug- 
gested that  ''three  or  four  months'  full  feeding  on 
meat  and  bread,  even  without  ardent  spirit,  will 
bring  on  disease,  and,  in  six  or  eight  months,  great 
mortality.  ...  I  l)elieve  more  Indians  might  be 
killed  with  the  expense  of  $100,000  in  tliis  way,  than 
$1,000,000  expended  in  the  support  of  armies  to  go 
against  them."'*' 

Fortunately,  wiser  counsels  than  either  of  these 
prevailed  to  control  the  Indians:  th(>  control  of  the 
fur  trade  was  necessai'\'.  \i  was  fell,  and  iiglitl.\-, 
that  much  of  the  trouble  in  the  West  was  due  t<>  the 


16  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

power  of  the  British  traders.  Accordingly,  by  an 
act  of  Congress  of  April  29,  1816,  it  was  provided 
that  "licenses  to  trade  with  the  Indians  within  the 
territorial  limits  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be 
granted  to  any  but  citizens  of  the  United  States,  un- 
less by  the  express  direction  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  upon  such  terms  and  conditions 
as  the  public  interest  may,  in  his  opinion,  require." 
To  carry  this  act  into  effect  the  president  was  au- 
thorized to  call  upon  the  military  force." 

This  legislation  was  most  opportune,  since  by  the 
commercial  convention  of  October  20,  1818,  the 
northern  boundary  was  definitely  agreed  upon  as  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  westward  from  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  to  the  Eocky  Mountains.^^  Ever  since  the 
negotiators  of  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of  1783  had  in- 
serted a  geographical  impossibility  by  declaring  that 
the  boundary  should  extend  due  west  from  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods  to  the  Mississippi,  there  had  existed  a 
vagueness  as  to  where  the  actual  line  should  be 
drawn.^''  In  1806  the  British  traders  thought  it 
would  be  run  from  the  lake  to  the  source  of  the 
river  ;*^  and  as  late  as  1818  Benjamin  0 'Fallon 
wrote  from  Prairie  du  Chien  that  Robert  Dickson 
'4s  directed  to  build  a  fort  on  the  highest  land  be- 
tween Lac  du  Travers  and  Red  river,  which  he  sup- 
poses will  be  the  established  line  between  the  two 
countries."*^  But  with  the  boundary  now  defined, 
the  area  where  the  trade  laws  were  to  be  enforced 
was  evident. 

The  method  of  Indian  trade  by  foreigners  was  to 


PERIOD  OF  FOREIGN  RULE  17 

be  supplanted  by  an  extension  of  the  United  States 
trading  house  system.  This  was  a  group  of  trading- 
houses,  conducted  by  the  government,  where  the  In- 
dians coukl  exchange  their  furs  for  goods  at  cost 
price  and  thus  avoid  both  the  deceit  and  whiskey  of 
the  private  merchant,  although  they  were  often  will- 
ing to  submit  to  the  one  for  the  sake  of  the  other.*" 
As  early  as  1805  Pike  had  promised  the  Indians,  in 
council  assembled,  that  the  government  intended  to 
build  a  trading  house  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota 
River. ^^  The  commissioners  at  Portage  des  Sioux,  in 
1815,  had  been  instructed  to  inform  the  tribes  that 
'4t  is  intended  to  establish  strong  posts  very  high 
up  the  Mississippi,  and  from  the  Mississippi  to  Lake 
Michigan,  and  to  open  trading-houses  at  those  posts, 
or  other  suitable  places  for  their  accommodation."^' 
In  1818  T.  L.  McKenny,  Superintendent  of  Indian 
Trade,  recommended  the  building  of  seven  addi- 
tional trading  houses,  one  of  which  was  to  be  located 
on  the  ''River  St.  Peters,  at  or  about  its  junction 
with  the  Mississippi."^" 

Thus,  through  the  Indian  department  steps  were 
being  taken  to  inaugurate  a  new  regime  iu  the  upper 
Northwest.  But  Indian  agents  and  trading  houses 
needed  the  protection  and  administrative  arm  of  the 
military  department  in  order  to  be  effective.  The 
forward  movement  of  the  military  frontier  during 
the  years  succeeding  the  war  is  significant  as  mark- 
ing a  trend  towards  the  Americanization  of  a  great 


region. 


n 

THE  EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SNELLING 

Wlien  the  War  of  1812  broke  out  in  the  Northwest, 
the  Americans  had  only  two  advanced  posts  —  Mack- 
inac and  Fort  Dearborn.  Of  these,  one  was  cap- 
tured during  the  hostilities,  and  the  other  was  evac- 
uated. An  attempt  was  made  to  build  a  post  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  but  it  quickly  passed  into  English 
hands  and  remained  in  their  possession  until  the 
news  of  peace  had  reached  that  frontier  station. 
But  after  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  was  signied  the  line  of 
the  military  frontier  was  quickly  advanced  in  order 
to  safeguard  the  Indian  agents,  the  trading  houses, 
and  the  advancing  settlements. 

Fort  Dearborn  was  re-occupied  on  July  4,  1815. 
Mackinac  was  transferred  to  American  hands  on 
July  18,  1815.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Colone] 
R.  C.  Nichols  of  the  Eighth  United  States  Infantry 
attempted  to  ascend  the  Mississippi  to  Rock  Island, 
but  was  compelled  to  pass  the  winter  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  mouth  of  the  Des  Moines  River.  On  May  10, 
1816,  how^ever,  he  reached  Rock  Island,  where  the 
construction  of  Fort  Armstrong  was  undertaken. 
June  21st  of  the  same  year  saw  the  re-occupation  of 
the  site  of  Fort  McKay  at  Prairie  du  Chien;  and 
Fort  Crawford  soon  protected  this  important  point 

18 


EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SXELLIXG  19 

at  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Wisconsin 
rivers.  One  other  point,  vital  in  all  western  trans- 
portation was  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Fox  River.  Colonel  John  Miller  of  the  Third 
Infantry  arrived  at  this  place  on  August  7,  1816,  and 
soon  began  the  erection  of  Fort  Howard. ^^ 

But  the  government  was  not  content  with  these 
movements.  In  a  report  dated  December  22,  1817, 
the  Secretary  of  War,  J.  C.  Calhoun,  wrote  to  the 
House  of  Representatives  that  '*a  board  of  the  most 
skilful  officers  in  our  service  has  been  constituted  to 
examine  the  whole  line  of  our  frontier,  and  to  deter- 
mine on  the  position  and  extent  of  works  tluit  may 
be  necessarv  to  the  defence  of  the  countrv. ' '  "*  Plans 
had  already  been  made.  During  the  sunnner  of  1817 
Major  Stephen  H.  Long,  a  topographical  engineer  in 
the  United  States  Army,  had  made  a  journey  to  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony  in  a  six-oared  skiff  and  had 
approved  the  position  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota 
River  as  a  location  for  a  foi-t.'"'  Other  plans  were 
soon  announced.  In  the  spring  of  1818  The  Wash- 
ington City  Gazette  stated  that  a  fort  would  be  built 
on  the  Missouri  River  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow- 
stone River;"'  and  a  second  report  of  the  Secretary 
of  War  on  December  11,  1818,  indicated  that  llic  site 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  would  soon  Ix'  occu- 
pied." 

On  the  tenth  of  February,  ISU),  the  War  Depart- 
ment ordered  the  Fiftli  Infantry  to  ('(mccnl  rale  at 
Detroit,  after  which  it  would  be  transported  across 
Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Michigan,  ii|)  the  Fox  River, 


20  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

and  down  the  Wisconsin  River  to  Prairie  du  Cliien, 
where  a  part  would  garrison  Fort  Crawford,  a  part 
would  proceed  to  Fort  Armstrong,  and  the  remain- 
der would  ascend  the  Mississippi  and  near  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony  erect  a  post  which  would  be  the  head- 
quarters of  the  regiment/^  This  movement  was 
closely  associated  with  that  on  the  Missouri  River 
called  the  Yellowstone  Expedition.  Both  move- 
ments were  part  of  one  system  —  a  comprehensive 
attempt  to  possess  the  northwestern  frontier.  The 
thoroughness  of  the  plan  is  shown  by  the  program 
outlined  for  the  troops  for  the  year  1820:  three 
forts  were  to  be  built  on  the  Missouri  River ;  the  nav- 
igation of  that  river  was  to  be  improved ;  roads  were 
to  be  opened  between  the  two  diverging  lines  of 
posts  (those  on  the  Missouri  and  those  on  the  Missis- 
sippi) ;  and  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  were  to 
be  connected  by  a  canal.  Thus  the  transportation 
of  supplies  would  be  facilitated,  and  in  case  of  hos- 
tilities the  forts  could  cooperate  in  the  military  oper- 
ations.^^^ 

The  western  part  of  this  general  movement  was  a 
failure.  Indeed,  the  only  result  was  the  construc- 
tion of  a  post  at  the  point  then  known  as  Council 
Bluff  (now  Fort  Calhoun,  Nebraska),  which  after  an 
existence  of  eight  years  w^as  abandoned.  Congress, 
disgusted  with  the  management  of  the  undertaking, 
refused  to  vote  the  funds  necessary  for  the  complete 
fulfillm.ent  of  the  project.*'"  Accordingly,  no  perma- 
nent military  post  existed  upon  the  upper  Missouri 
until  1855,  when  the  United  States  government  pur- 


EVOLUTION  OP  FORT  SNELLIXG  21 


chased  from  the  American  Fuv  Company  their  sta- 
tion called  Fort  Pierre  and  transformed  it  into  a 
military  establishment.*''  The  failure  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Expedition  made  more  difficult  the  work  of 
Fort  Snelling.  The  range  of  its  influence  extended 
to  the  Missouri,  and  for  forty  years  it  was  of  more 
importance  than  even  its  originators  had  planned. 

The  Fifth  Infantry,  to  which  the  difficult  task  of 
establishing  a  fort  at  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Minnesota  rivers  was  assigned  was  stationed  at 
various  places.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Henry  Tjcaven- 
worth,  who  was  the  commanding  officer  of  the  regi- 
ment, had  been  located  at  Prairie  du  Chien  as  Super- 
intendent of  Indian  Affairs.*'-  Lieutenant  Nathan 
Clark  was  living  at  Hartford,  Connecticut."^  But  by 
May  14tli  the  main  part  of  the  regiment  was  ready  to 
leave  Detroit.  Schooners  brought  them  through 
Lake  Huron,  the  Straits  of  Mackinac,  and  across 
Lake  Michigan  to  Fort  Howard  on  Green  Bay.  Cap- 
tain A\^iistler  of  the  Third  United  States  Infantry, 
then  stationed  at  this  post,  had  prepared  bateaux 
for  the  use  of  the  troops,  and  on  June  7th  the  ascent 
of  the  Fox  River  was  commenced.*'''  The  Winnebago 
cliief  ''Four  Legs",  whose  village  was  at  the  outlet 
of  Lake  Winnebago,  had  tlic  custom  of  exacting 
tribute  from  travellers  using  the  Fox- Wisconsin 
route.  When  the  troops  of  the  Fiftli  Infantry  came 
to  the  site,  **Foui-  Legs"  sent  the  message,  ''The 
I^ake  is  locked."  Whei-eupon  Colonel  Leavenworili, 
showing  the  messenger  his  rifle,  replied:  "tell  liim, 
that  tliis  is  the  key,  and  I  shall  niilock  it  mid  go  on." 


22  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Upon  receiving  this  belligerent  reply,  the  chief  al- 
lowed the  troops  to  pass;  and  finally  on  June  30th 
the  bateaux  were  moored  near  Fort  Crawford  and 
Prairie  du  Chien.^^ 

At  Fort  Crawford  there  was  a  tedious  wait.  Pro- 
visions, ordnance,  ammunition,  and  recruits  were  ex- 
pected from  St.  Louis.  On  July  5th  Major  Thomas 
Forsyth  arrived  from  St.  Louis.  He  had  been  or- 
dered by  the  "War  Department  to  bring  two  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  goods  to  the  Sioux  Indians  in  pay- 
ment for  the  reservation  ceded  by  them  to  Pike.^*^ 
Day  after  day  passed.  Finally,  on  July  17th  a  cer- 
tain Mr.  Shaw  came  with  news  that  the  recruits  could 
be  expected  soon.  On  July  31st  this  curt  entry  is 
made  in  Forsyth's  journal:  ''no  boats,  no  recruits, 
no  news,  nor  anything  else  from  St.  Louis."  The 
next  day  Major  Marston  was  sent  with  twenty-seven 
troops  to  garrison  Fort  Armstrong  at  Rock  Island ; 
and  on  August  2nd  Forsyth  recorded :  "Thank  God 
a  boat  loaded  with  ordnance  and  stores  of  different 
kinds  arrived  to-day,  and  said  a  provision  boat  would 
arrive  to-morroAv,  but  no  news  of  the  recruits."*^' 

Colonel  Leavenworth  at  once  made  preparations 
to  ascend  the  river.  The  two  large  boats  that  had 
brought  up  supplies  were  engaged,  and  at  eight 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  Aug-ust  8th,  the 
flotilla  set  out  —  the  two  large  boats,  fourteen  bat- 
eaux, the  boat  of  Major  Forsyth,  and  the  barge  of 
Colonel  Leavenworth.  In  the  party  were  ninety- 
eight  soldiers  and  twenty  boatmen.  There  were 
others  also  whose  presence  in  that  wild  region  would 


EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SXELLIXG  23 

not  be  expected:  Mrs.  Gooding,  the  wife  of  one  of 
the  captains;  Mrs.  Nathan  Clark,  the  wife  of  the 
commissary;  and  little  Charlotte  Ouisconsin  Clark, 
who  had  been  born  scarcely  an  hour  after  the  regi- 
ment reached  Fort  Crawford.  The  knowledge  that 
they  were  upon  the  last  stage  of  their  journey  caused 
a  feeling  of  cheerfulness  among  the  soldiers,  and  the 
first  day  they  proceeded  a  distance  of  eighteen 
miles. ^^ 

For  sixteen  days  the  boatmen  poled  their  bateaux 
up  the  river.  Once  when  there  was  a  '^  Great  ap- 
pearance of  wind"  the  sails  were  hoisted.  At  other 
times  the  heavily  loaded  boats  were  moved  with  dif- 
ficulty through  the  shallow  water.  Occasionally  fog 
and  rain  impeded  their  progress.  Bad  water  made 
half  of  the  soldiers  sick  before  the  iournev  was 
ended ;  and  to  avoid  the  mosquitoes  on  the  river,  the 
men  preferred  to  sleep  on  the  banks,  although  every 
morning  there  was  a  heavy  dew.  On  August  17tli 
the  lower  end  of  Lake  Pepin  was  reached  aud  hove 
a  delay  of  several  hours  occurred  while  the  men 
drew  provisions  from  tlic  supply  boats,  and  wasluMl 
their  dirty  linen."'' 

Major  Forsyth  stopped  at  the  Indian  villages  to 
distribute  pi-esents  and  to  announce  to  the  natives 
the  object  of  the  coming  of  the  troops,  and  the  value 
they  would  derive  from  having  a  fort  in  theii-  midst. 
On  Sunday,  August  22nd,  he  encamped  a  few  miles 
ahead  of  the  main  ])ody  of  the  expedition,  l)ut  by 
eight  o'clock  the  next  morning  all  the  ])oats  had  conic 
up.     Impatient   to   reach   the   end    ol'    llic   joniiicy. 


24  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Major  Forsyth  again  pushed  forward  and  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Minnesota  River.  On  the  morning  of  Tuesday, 
August  24,  1819,  Colonel  Leavenworth  arrived  in  his 
barge  ahead  of  the  troops  and  spent  almost  the  en- 
tire day  in  looking  over  the  sites  available  for  a 
camp.  Finally,  he  decided  upon  a  spot  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Minnesota  River,  just  above  its  mouth. 
There  was  no  rest  for  the  troops  when  their  boats 
reached  the  chosen  place.  ''They  were  immediately 
set  to  work  in  making  roads  up  the  bank  of  the  river, 
cutting  down  trees,  etc."'° 

If  the  soldiers  had  any  spare  time  in  their  labors 
in  which  to  become  interested  in  their  surroundings, 
there  was  novelty  in  everything  about  them.  Dur- 
ing the  next  few  days  all  the  nearby  chiefs  came  to 
call  upon  their  new  neighbors:  they  left  satisfied 
with  the  presents  and  the  whiskey  which  they  had 
received.  On  Saturday  a  party  ascended  to  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony;  and  on  Sunday  a  visit  was 
made  to  the  Indian  villages  up  the  Minnesota  River. 
It  was  on  Monday  that  Major  Forsyth  began  his 
return  trip,  and  as  the  supplies  in  store  were  few 
and  the  long-expected  recruits  were  needed  for  the 
erection  of  the  camp  buildings,  Colonel  Leavenworth 
set  out  with  him  for  Prairie  du  Chien.  On  Septem- 
ber 1st  they  met  on  Lake  Pepin  two  boats  and  a 
bateau  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  soldiers  on 
board.  But  Colonel  Leavenworth  continued  to 
Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he  remained  some  time  to 
urge  on  any  boats  which  might  arrive.     On  Septem- 


EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SXELLIXG  25 

ber  5tli  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  recruits  landed 
at  the  new  camp.'^ 

Log  cabins  and  a  stockade  were  erected  while  the 
party  still  lived  in  the  boats  on  the  river.  By  No- 
vember the  temporary  barracks  were  read}"  for  occu- 
pation. Looking  forward  to  a  pleasant  winter,  the 
name  "Cantonment  New  Hope"  was  applied  to  the 
embrvo  fort.  The  more  scientific  anion ii'  the  men 
examined  the  country  round  about,  and  saw  in  the 
hills  visions  of  mines  of  precious  metals.  "Would 
not  the  employment  of  the  troops  in  the  manufacture 
of  Copper  and  Iron  be  advantageous  to  the  govern- 
ment ? ' ',  wrote  one  of  these  energetic  soldiers.  But 
the  succeeding  months  were  not  to  give  an  oppor- 
tunity for  such  occupations. '- 

Added  to  the  natural  monotony  of  a  wilderness 
post,  there  was  homesickness  and  suffering  during 
the  first  winter.  The  quarters  that  had  been  built 
were  inadequate  for  protection  from  the  cold  of 
that  climate.  "Once  during  that  memorable  sLx 
months",  runs  the  account  of  one  of  the  inhal)itants 
of  Cantonment  New  Hope,  "the  roof  of  our  cabin 
blew  off,  and  the  walls  seemed  about  to  fall  in.  My 
father,  sending  my  mother  and  brother  to  a  place  of 
safety,  held  up  the  chimney  to  prevent  a  total  down- 
fall ;  while  the  baby,  who  had  been  pushed  under  the 
bed  in  her  cradle,  lay  there  ....  until  the 
wind  subsided,  when,  upon  being  drawn  out  from  her 
hiding-place,  she  evinced  great  pleasure  at  the  com- 
motion, and  seemed  to  take  it  all  as  something  de- 
signed especially  for  her  amusement."     That  baby 


26  OLD  FORT  SNELLIXG 

lived  to  recall  the  incident  almost   seventy  years 
later." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  winter  there  came  sick- 
ness, chiefly  on  account  of  a  lack  of  proper  provi- 
sions. Late  in  the  fall  Lieutenant  Oliver  had  left 
Prairie  du  Chien  with  supplies  in  a  keel  boat.  But 
the  river  froze  and  the  boat  was  unable  to  progress 
farther  than  the  vicinity  of  Hastings,  Minnesota. 
Here  it  was  necessary  to  keep  a  guard  all  winter  to 
protect  the  food  from  the  Indians  and  the  wolves. 
The  Indians  refused  to  sell  them  game ;  no  vegetables 
could  be  purchased;  and  the  bread  was  "two  inches 
in  the  barrels  thick  with  mould".'*  With  such  food 
it  is  no  wonder  that  scurvy,  the  dreaded  disease  of 
all  frontier  posts,  broke  out  among  the  troops. 
Forty  soldiers  died  before  the  progress  of  the  dis- 
ease was  arrested  by  home-made  remedies  and  gro- 
ceries brought  up  by  the  sutler.'"' 

This  visitation  of  disease  left  a  profound  impres- 
sion upon  the  survivors.  Henry  H.  Sibley,  who  had 
often  spoken  with  those  who  passed  through  the 
weary  months  of  suffering  and  sickness,  wrote  that 
**  scurvy  broke  out  in  a  most  malignant  form,  and 
raged  so  violently  that,  for  a  few  days,  garrison  duty 
was  suspended,  there  being  barely  well  men  enough 
in  the  command  to  attend  to  the  sick,  and  to  the  in- 
terment of  the  dead.  So  sudden  were  the  attacks, 
that  soldiers  in  apparent  good  health  when  they  went 
to  bed,  were  found  dead  in  the  morning.  One  man 
who  was  relieved  from  his  tour  of  sentinel  duty,  and 
stretched  himself  upon  the  bench  of  the  guard  room. 


EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SXELLIXG  27 

four  hours  after,  when  he  was  called  upon  to  resume 
his  post,  was  discovered  to  be  lifeless."" 

Thinking  that  much  of  the  sickness  was  caused  by 
the  unhealthful  location.  Colonel  Leavenworth,  on 
May  5,  1820,  moved  the  soldiers  to  a  place  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  north  of  the  Minnesota 
where  there  was  a  great  spring  of  cold  water.  Here 
the  troops  were  quartered  in  tents  —  naming  their 
community  ''Camp  Cold  Water"."  The  innnediate 
need  was  the  erection  of  the  permanent  post.  Col- 
onel Leavenworth  chose  for  the  site  a  position  three 
hundred  vards  west  of  the  crest  of  the  cliff.  Some 
material  was  brought  to  this  place,  but  no  building 
was  done.  In  August  Colonel  Leavenworth  was 
superseded  in  command  by  Colonel  Josiah  Suelling, 
who  located  the  position  at  the  extreme  point  of  land 
between  the  Mississippi  and  Minnesota  rivers.'*  The 
work  of  erecting  the  buildings  was  done  by  the  sol- 
diers, it  being  customary  at  that  time  to  pay  the 
soldiers  fifteen  cents  a  day  in  addition  to  their  reg- 
ular pay  for  this  extra  work.^^ 

Steps  were  taken  during  the  summer  of  1820  to 
obtain  the  necessary  material.  A  saw  mill  was 
needed  to  make  the  lumber  with  which  the  interior  of 
the  buildings  would  be  finished  and  tlic  fui-niture 
constructed.  As  the  water  in  Minnehaha  Creek  was 
very  low  that  year,  it  was  decided  to  erect  the  mill 
at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Some  men  wcw  sent 
up  the  Mississippi  River  to  Rum  River  to  examine 
the  timl)er,  and  during  the  winter  of  1S2()-1821  n 
party  of  soldiers  was  employed  in  cutting  h)gs  ;iii<l 


28  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

dragging  them  to  the  river  bank.  With  the  coming 
of  spring  the  logs  were  floated  down  to  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony,  where  they  were  sawed  into  lumber 
and  then  hauled  to  the  fort  by  teams. ®° 

The  progress  made  on  the  building  was  slow.  On 
the  tenth  of  September,  1820,  the  cornerstone  was 
laid.^^  More  than  a  ^^ear  later,  on  November  7,  1821, 
Colonel  Snelling  wrote  to  the  Indian  agent,  Law- 
rence Taliaferro,  that  "nothing  new  has  occurred 
since  my  return  excepting  that  the  other  stone  bar- 
rack is  up  &  the  rafters  on."^-  The  fort  was  par- 
tially occupied,  probably  in  the  fall  of  1822,  before 
all  the  surrounding  wall  had  been  completed. ^^  But 
it  is  evident  that  most  of  the  fort  was  finished  by 
July,  1823,  for  at  that  time  the  troops  erected  the 
Indian  Council  House. ^* 

In  the  meantime  other  events  had  been  occurring. 
On  July  31,  1820,  Governor  Cass  of  Michigan  Terri- 
tory, who  had  been  on  an  exploring  expedition  to  the 
upper  Mississippi,  passed  down  the  river  and  re- 
mained with  the  troops  until  the  morning  of  August 
2nd.  A  council  was  held  with  the  Indians,  during 
which  a  peace  was  made  between  the  Sioux  and  the 
Chippewas.  That  the  garrison  had  been  bus}^  at 
duties  other  than  erecting  buildings  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  Governor  Cass  found  ninety  acres 
planted  with  corn  and  potatoes  and  wheat.  From 
the  garden  green  peas  had  been  obtained  as  early  as 
June  15th,  and  green  corn  on  July  20th.^^ 

In  accordance  with  the  plans  outlined  for  the  year 
1820  it  was  proposed  to  open  a  road  between  Council 


EVOLUTION  OF  FORT  SNELLIXG  29 

Bhiff  and  the  new  post  on  the  upper  Mississippi. 
To  survey  the  route  Captain  Stephen  Watts  Kearny 
led  a  party  which  consisted  of  four  other  officers, 
fifteen  soldiers,  four  servants,  an  Indian  guide  and 
his  wife  and  papoose,  eight  mules,  and  seven  horses. 
The  route  led  from  Council  Blutf  across  what  is  now 
the  northern  and  northwestern  part  of  the  State  of 
Iowa  to  Lake  Pepin,  and  then  along  the  Mississippi 
to  the  new  post.  From  July  25th  to  July  29th  they 
remained  with  Leavenworth's  men,  visiting  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony,  examining  the  country,  and  on  July 
26th  going  with  Lieutenant  Green  and  Miss  Gooding 
to  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi.  Here  Lieutenant 
Green  and  Miss  Gooding  were  married  by  Colonel 
Leavenworth,  who  as  Indian  agent  for  the  "North- 
west Territory"  could  perform  his  duties  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river,  but  not  on  the  west,  which  was  in 
the  Missouri  Territory.^" 

The  fact  that  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  constituted 
the  most  noticeable  landmark  of  the  vicinity  led  to 
the  application  of  its  name  to  the  military  works. 
The  first  official  inspection  of  Fort  St.  Anthony  oc- 
curred some  time  between  May  13,  1824,  and  June 
13,  1824.  General  Winfield  Scott,  as  the  inspector, 
was  received  with  all  the  honor  and  entertainment 
that  the  frontier  post  could  provide.  He  left  favor- 
ably impressed  with  the  work  that  had  been  done. 

**I  wish  to  suggest  to  the  general-in-chief,"  wrote 
General  Scott  in  his  report,  ''and  tlnougli  liini  io  llic 
War  Department,  tlie  propriety  of  calling  lliis  work 
Forf  SneUmri,  as  a  just  compliment  to  the  in<'iitnri- 


/ 


30  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

ous  officer  under  whom  it  lias  been  erected.  The 
present  name  is  foreign  to  all  our  associations,  and 
is,  besides,  geographically  incorrect,  as  the  work 
stands  at  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Saint 
Peter's  rivers,  eight  miles  below  the  great  falls  of 
the  Mississippi,  called  after  Saint  Anthony.  Some 
few  years  since  the  Secretary  of  War  directed  that 
the  w^ork  at  the  Council  Bluffs  should  be  called  Fort 
Atkinson  in  compliment  to  the  valuable  services  of 
General  Atkinson  on  the  upper  Missouri.  The  above 
proposition  is  made  on  the  same  principle." 

A  general  order  on  January  7,  1825,  directed  that 
the  suggested  change  should  be  made.  Thereupon 
Fort  Snelling  began  its  career  as  the  guardian  of  the 
Northwest." 


Ill 

FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY 

It  was  not  the  intention  of  the  War  Department 
that  the  influence  of  the  frontier  military  post  should 
be  limited  by  the  range  of  the  g-uns  mounted  upon  its 
walls.  The  post  was  to  be  the  center  of  the  Indian 
life  for  those  tribes  that  dwelt  in  the  vicinity.  At 
the  same  time  expeditions,  the  base  of  which  was  to 
be  at  the  fort,  were  to  carry  the  authority  of  the 
government  out  upon  the  wild  Indian  lands,  and  the 
frontier  settlements  were  to  look  to  the  soldiers  for 
protection.^* 

TTow,  in  its  origin,  Fort  Snelling  became  |)art  ol' 
a  comprehensive  system  for  the  protection  of  the 
frontier,  has  l)een  detailed.  The  events  of  the  forty 
vears  that  followed  indicate  very  clearlv  the  wisdom 
of  the  men  who  chose  the  site.  Ever\  ]iliase  of 
fi'ontier  duty  was  y)erformed  by  the  troops  stationed 
at  the  mouth  of  the  ■Minnesota  River;  and  although 
these  tasks  often  took  them  hundreds  of  miles  from 
the  post,  and  although  they  often  cooperated  willi 
men  from  other  forts,  yet  these  expeditions  nia>'  well 
be  considered  as  part  of  the  histoi-y  of  Fort  SncHinn. 
They  were  a  test  of  the  ti-aining  received  on  I  lie 
parade  ground,  and  1li<'  siu-cessfnl  accoiniilislinicnl 

31 


32  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

of  many  a  difficult  duty  shows  that  the  post  was  ful- 
filling the  objects  of  those  w^lio  built  it. 

Prior  to  1848  the  governmental  organization  in 
the  jurisdiction  of  which  Fort  Snelling  was  located 
was  very  weak.  When  first  erected  in  1819  the  fort 
was  in  the  Territory  of  Missouri  (1812-1821) .  Then 
followed  a  number  of  years  in  which  it  was  in  unor- 
ganized territory  (1821-1834).  The  Territory  of 
Michigan  (1834-1836),  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
(1836-1838),  and  the  Territory  of  Iowa  (1838-1846) 
successively  had  jurisdiction  over  it;  while  in  1849 
it  fell  within  the  newly-organized  Territory  of  Min- 
nesota. Lying  far  from  the  seats  of  government,  in 
a  region  of  wandering  traders  and  red  men,  the  fort 
became  the  exponent  of  the  government  —  the  only 
symbol  of  governmental  restriction  in  a  region  al- 
most entirely  without  law\ 

During  the  first  years  of  its  existence  while  the 
buildings  were  being  erected  and  the  fort  was  mak- 
ing its  place  in  the  Indian  life  and  the  fur  trade  of 
the  surrounding  region,  the  frontier  was  compara- 
tively quiet.  The  first  outbreak  occurred  in  Illinois 
and  Wisconsin,  where  the  Winnebagoes  were  con- 
stantly coming  into  contact  with  the  lead  miners 
about  Galena.  During  the  summer  of  1826  rumors 
came  to  Fort  Snelling  of  the  hostility  of  this  tribe, 
and  Colonel  Snelling  thought  it  prudent  to  roenforce 
the  garrison  of  Fort  Crawford  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
Three  companies  of  the  Fifth  Infantry  were  sent 
away  from  Fort  Snelling  on  the  afternoon  of  xlugust 
18th  under  the  command  of  Captain  Wilcox. ^^     Al- 


FORTY  YEARS  OB^  FRONTIER  DUTY    33 


thougli  no  actual  conflict  occurred,  the  continued 
uneasiness  felt  because  of  the  presence  of  the  Win- 
nebagoes  led  the  authorities  to  remove  all  the  troops 
from  Fort  Crawford  to  the  upper  post  in  the  fall  of 
that  year.°° 

The  lack  of  soldiers  among  them  intensified  the 
unruly  spirit  in  the  Winnebagoes.  In  June  of  the 
next  year  two  keel  boats,  the  ''General  Ashley"  and 
the  "0.  H.  Perry",  which  were  carrying  supplies  to 
Fort  Snelling  noticed  an  unfriendly  feeling  among 
the  Sioux  at  Wabasha's  village.  Fifty  warriors 
with  their  faces  painted  black  and  with  black  streaks 
on  their  blankets  visited  the  "0.  H.  Perrv",  but 
refused  to  shake  hands.  Apprehensive  of  danger 
on  the  return  journey.  Colonel  Snelling  furnished 
the  crews  with  guns  and  cartridges  before  the  de- 
scent was  commenced.^^ 

There  soon  arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  a  letter  from 
John  Marsh,  the  sub-agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  It 
stated  that  rumors  were  current  that  Prairie  du 
Chien  was  to  be  attacked  and  that  the  Sioux  and 
Winnebagoes  threatened  to  kill  Taliaferro  "and  au}' 
American  that  they  can  find  at  a  distance  from  IJic 
Fort".  The  letter  closed  with  the  request  that  ste])s 
be  taken  for  the  defense  of  Prairie  du  Chien."-  No 
doubt  preparations  were  commenc(Ml  immediately; 
but  they  were  hastened  by  news  which  soon  came  u]) 
the  river.  On  June  26th  the  Winnebago  cliicf.  Red 
Bird,  witli  three  of  his  men  had  attacked  a  farm 
house  neai-  Pi-airie  du  Chien  and  obtained  the  scalp 
of  a  child.     Peturninii'  to  thoii-  village,  they  liad  seen 


34  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

the  keel  boats  coming  down  the  river.  With  their 
fighting  blood  up  they  attacked  the  "0.  H.  Perry", 
and  in  a  battle  which  lasted  several  hours  thev  killed 
two  of  the  crew  and  lost  seven  of  their  own  warriors. 
The  report  of  this  attack,  together  with  the  murder 
near  Prairie  du  Chien,  spread  consternation  among 
the  white  men.^^ 

Without  delay  Colonel  Snelling  with  four  com- 
panies started  down  the  river.''*  A  few  days  after 
reaching  Prairie  du  Chien,  he  was  reenforced  by 
troops  brought  up  from  St,  Louis  by  Colonel  Atkin- 
son, It  was  thought  necessary  that  Fort  Snelling 
should  be  maintained  during  the  critical  period,  and 
as  it  was  short  of  provisions,  Colonel  Snelling  was 
ordered  back  to  his  post  with  a  supply  of  flour,  and 
directed  to  procure  boats  which  could  be  used  in  the 
pursuit  of  the  Winnebagoes  up  the  Wisconsin  River. 
On  the  16th  of  August  Colonel  Snelling  arrived  at 
his  post,  and  on  the  following  day  Major  Fowle 
started  downstream  with  four  other  companies  of 
the  Fifth  Infantry  in  two  keel  boats  and  nine  mack- 
inac  boats,  arriving  at  Fort  Crawford  on  August 
21st.  The  Indians,  overawed  by  the  rapidity  of 
these  military  movements  and  the  size  of  the  force 
sent  against  them,  immediately  became  peaceable. 
As  a  precaution,  however.  Major  Fowle  was  kept  at 
Fort  Crawford,  and  the  post  was  provisioned  for  a 
year.^^ 

During  the  next  twenty  years  the  force  maintained 
at  Fort  Snelling  was  small,  and  the  garrison  was 
occupied  in  routine  tasks,  the  regulation  of  Indian 


FORTY  YEARS  OP  FRONTIER  DUTY    35 

affairs,  and  the  fur  trade.  At  the  time  of  the  Bhick 
Hawk  War  there  was  quiet  about  Fort  Snelliug,  and 
Major  Taliaferro  offered  his  services  and  those  of 
the  Sioux  warriors  in  the  campaign  against  tlie  Sacs 
and  Foxes.  But  the  government  did  not  think  it 
advisable  to  formally  accept  the  protfered  help,  al- 
though a  number  of  the  Sioux  did  take  part  in  pur- 
suing the  remnants  of  Sacs  who  succeeded  in  cross- 
ing the  river.*"^ 

In  June,  1848,  the  company  of  infantry  stationed 
at  Fort  Snolling  received  an  urgent  call  to  come  to 
Wabasha's  Prairie  —  near  Winona,  Minnesota.  The 
Winnebago  Indians  were  being  transferred  from 
their  former  home  in  the  Turkey  Valley  region  in 
Iowa  to  a  new  reservation  obtained  for  them  from 
the  Chippewas.  But  when  the  Prairie  was  reached, 
the  Winnebagoes  visited  with  AVabasha  and  he  sold 
it  to  them  for  a  home.  When  Captain  Seth  Eastman 
arrived  from  Fort  SneUing  he  was  put  in  cliarge  of 
the  military  forces  which  had  l)een  hastily  brought 
together  to  force  the  Winnebagoes  to  continue  their 
mai'ch.  There  were  volunteei-s  from  Crawford 
County,  Wisconsin,  dragoons  from  Fort  Atkinson, 
Iowa,  and  the  infantry  from  Fort  Snelling,  besides 
sixty  armed  teamsters. 

These  military  forces  lay  encam))ed,  se])ai-ated 
from  the  Indians  by  a  slough.  In  the  morning  a 
deputation  of  Indians  came  to  ask  llic  iiic-niiiig  of 
the  martial  appearance  of  the  whites  wlien  nil  llir.i/ 
desired  was  a  council.  This  suggestion  of  ;i  council 
was  quickly  assented  to,  Imt  Ihc  Indians  apitroacluM] 


36  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

with  such  a  rush  and  with  such  blood-curdUng  yells 
that  the  cannon  were  loaded  and  the  soldiers  stood 
ready  to  fire.  During  the  council  the  Winnebagoes 
refused  to  move  until  one  small  band  gave  in  to  the 
entreaties  of  the  agent  and  were  taken  up  to  Fort 
Snelling.  This  was  an  opening  wedge,  for  when  the 
steamboat  returned  1700  were  ready  to  move.  The 
total  journey  of  three  hundred  and  ten  miles  from 
the  old  to  the  new  home  occupied  the  time  from  June 
8th  to  July  30th,  1848." 

By  the  next  summer  they  were  readv  to  return  — 
anywhere,  but  especially  to  Wisconsin,  their  earliest 
home.^^  In  July  the  whole  tribe,  stimulated  by 
whiskey,  started;  but  Governor  Ramsey  called  on 
Colonel  Loomis  of  Fort  Snelling  for  aid,  and  a  force 
under  Captain  Monroe  proceeded  to  the  north  where 
their  presence  aided  in  quieting  the  disturbers. 
Again,  on  September  9th  about  a  hundred  had  ap- 
proached within  sixteen  miles  of  St.  Paul,  when  Cap- 
tain Page  and  forty  men  from  Fort  Snelling  fright- 
ened them  so  much  that  they  fled  into  the  swamps 
and  returned  home  quietly.  Smaller  parties  were 
captured  on  the  river  and  sent  back  under  a  military 
guard. ^^  Not  all  the  efforts,  however,  were  success- 
ful. It  was  reported  that  one  evening  in  November 
over  a  hundred  red  men  floated  down  quietly  under 
the  very  guns  of  Fort  Snelling,  and  two  weeks  later 
the  newspaper  accounts  tell  of  three  hundred  Winne- 
bagoes in  camp  near  the  mouth  of  the  Black  River. ^"^ 
The  need  for  a  company  of  dragoons  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing was  imperative.     The  next  summer  it  was  ob- 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    37 


tained,  and  in  1851  this  military  force  was  described 
as  being  "an  indispensable  and  invaluable  auxil- 
j^j.y  Mioi    ^^^  ^^j-j^-j  -j^gg^  ^^,^g  ^^^  Winnebago  spirit 

of  migration  broken,  and  then  only  after  a  new  res- 
ervation had  been  obtained  for  them  at  the  month 
of  the  Blue  Earth  Eiver.'°- 

In  his  report  of  November  25,  1844,  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Indian  Affairs  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  no  longer  was  there  any  need  of  entertaining 
fears  on  account  of  the  visits  made  by  American 
Indians  to  the  Canadian  posts,  as  these  pilgrimages 
w^ere  indulged  in  only  by  a  few  "worthless  va- 
grants". But  an  evil  of  a  different  character  was 
imminent.  Twice  a  year  hundreds  of  Ked  River 
half-breeds  —  bois  hrules  —  left  their  homes  on  the 
British  side  of  the  international  boundary  to  hunt 
buffalo  on  the  American  plains  which  bordered  on 
the  Missouri  River.  Here  they  came  into  contact 
with  Indians  who  naturally  resented  this  intrusion 
upon  their  hunting  grounds.  During  the  summer  of 
1844  a  half-breed  had  Ijeen  killed  by  a  party  of  Yank- 
ton vSioux,  and  the  invaders  had  retaliated  by  killing 
eight  Sioux  of  another  band.  This  so  inflamed  llie 
Indians  that  they  went  upon  the  war  path  and  with- 
out stopping  to  reason  about  the  matter,  they  at- 
tacked a  party  of  whites  whom  they  met  on  Otter 
Tail  Lake.^°^ 

To  Imiil  Die  buffalo  fi-eely,  even  on  rorcigii  soil. 
S('<'Iii(m1  1()  the  hois  hniirs  to  b»'  ilicii'  ii;itiii-al  |■l^■ilt. 
On  I  lie  penmiican  which  they  made  from  these  buf- 
faloes they  depended  for  their  winter's  f<)o<l.     Five 


i  i  G  S  44 


38  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

hundred  and  forty  carts  trailed  out  of  Pembina  on 
the  summer  hunt  of  1820,  and  from  year  to  year  the 
number  increased  until  in  1840  there  were  1210  carts, 
accompanied  l)y  1630  people.  Nowhere  else  in  the 
new  world  at  least,  was  there  such  a  hunting  party. 
Thirteen  hundred  and  seventy-five  buffalo  tongues 
were  counted  as  the  result  of  one  day's  hunt  in 
1840.^*'*  It  was  estimated  that  every  year  these  Red 
River  hunters  killed  twenty  thousand  buffaloes  on 
American  soil.^°^ 

In  this  there  was  a  real  grievance.  Though  small 
in  itself  the  incident  could  easily  develop  into  a  war 
when  there  were  other  factors  urging  in  the  same 
direction.^"''  The  exact  condition  of  affairs  on  the 
border  was  so  confused  that  the  United  States  made 
occasional  military  displays  in  order  to  impress  the 
invaders  and  also  to  satisfy  its  own  curiosity.  The 
first  of  these  expeditions  occurred  in  1845.  Captain 
Edwin  V.  Sumner,  then  in  command  at  Fort  Atkin- 
son, in  the  Iowa  country,  visited  the  Red  River  of 
the  North  during  the  summer  of  that  year  with  Com- 
panies B  and  I  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Dragoons. 
But  the  difficulty  was  that  while  the  invaders  would 
promise  to  remain  off  American  soil  and  would  retire 
as  soon  as  a  military  force  appeared,  yet  no  sooner 
would  the  troops  depart  than  they  would  be  back 
again  on  the  hunting  grounds. ^°' 

"Wlien  complaints  continued  to  come  in  the  Adju- 
tant General  proposed  to  establish  a  post  on  the  Red 
River.  As  a  preliminary  movement  Brevet  Major 
Samuel  Woods,  Captain  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  lo- 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    39 


cated  at  Fort  Snelliiig,  was  ordered  to  proceed  with 
Company  D  of  the  dragoons  to  the  border  and  make 
recommendations  to  the  War  Department  in  regard 
to  a  suitable  site.  On  June  6,  1849,  the  start  was 
made  from  Fort  Snelling,  and  the  wear>-  march 
directed  to  the  northwest  over  the  swollen  rivers  and 
the  marshy  swamps  with  the  mosquitoes  a  constant 
torment,  until  on  August  1st  the  soldiers  reached  the 
collection  of  Indian  lodges  and  the  trading  establish- 
ment that  was  known  as  Pembina.  During  the 
twenty-five  days  spent  at  this  point  observations 
were  made  of  the  topographical  features  of  the  land, 
the  character  of  the  Indians,  and  the  pursuits  of  the 
half-breeds. 

Major  Woods  urged  the  American  Indians  and 
half-breeds  to  prevent  by  force  the  invasions,  prom- 
ising that  the  United  States  would  sui)po.rt  them. 
But  it  would  be  useless,  he  reported,  to  build  a  fort 
at  Pembina  unless  at  least  two  hundred  fifty  men 
were  stationed  there.  It  would  be  better  to  concen- 
trate a  large  force  at  Fort  Snelling,  from  whence 
expeditions  could  be  made  into  the  Indian  country 
in  all  directions  as  necessity  might  arise.  The  i-c- 
turn  to  the  fort  occupied  twenty-three  mid  a  half 
days,  and  on  September  18th  the  total  jouiucy  of 
almost  a  thousand  miles  was  completed  with  the  loss 
of  only  one  horse  and  one  mule.^"** 

During  the  next  few  years  conditions  rciiiaiiictl 
unchanged,  and  as  the  settlement  of  the  Miniu'sota 
and  Mississippi  valk»ys  was  pushing  liic  rndiai) 
tiibes  farther  to  the  westward,  more  and  l)itter  con- 


40  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

flicts  with  the  half-breeds  would  be  liable  to  occur. 
In  order  to  give  a  final  warning  to  the  foreign  hunt- 
ers and  to  select  a  site  for  a  post  which  could  serve 
the  double  purpose  of  protecting  the  frontier  settle- 
ments from  the  Indians  and  the  Indians  from  the 
foreigners,  Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  F.  Smith  of  the 
Tenth  Infantry  was  ordered  on  June  9,  1856,  to  tour 
the  region  with  Companies  B  and  F.  As  far  as  the 
Goose  River,  in  the  North  Dakota  country,  the  route 
followed  from  Fort  Snelling  was  practically  the 
same  as  that  of  Major  Woods;  but  instead  of  pro- 
ceeding by  the  usual  route  northward  to  Pembina, 
a  detour  was  made  to  Lake  Mini- Waken  (Devil's 
Lake).  On  the  return  the  less  travelled  and  more 
difficult  road  on  the  east  side  of  the  Red  River  was 
folloAved. 

On  August  19th  the  trail  of  the  annual  hunting 
party  w^as  crossed;  but  the  nine  hundred  men, 
women,  and  children  who  had  made  the  trip  had 
returned  to  their  homes  three  weeks  before,  and  kept 
away  from  the  military  party.  Since  no  warning 
could  be  given  to  them  in  person,  a  notice  written  in 
l)oth  English  and  French  was  circulated  in  Pembina 
and  in  the  British  settlements  to  the  north.  But  the 
natives  obtained  sweet  revenge  when  Colonel  Smith 
attempted  to  buy  from  the  farmers  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  principal  trading  post  —  Fort  Garry  —  a  suffi- 
cient supply  of  oats  for  his  troops.  The  half-breeds 
declined  to  bring  the  grain,  giving  as  their  excuse 
that  they  did  not  desire  to  trespass  on  American  soil 
when  warned  to  keep  off.^°^ 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    41 

Not  only  to  the  north  did  the  troops  from  Fort 
Snelling  make  expeditions.  The  \vide  range  of  its 
influence  is  ilhistrated  bj'  the  task  which  occupied 
the  attention  of  its  soldiers  during  the  summer  of 
1850.  On  Aug-ust  8,  1849,  Governor  Ansel  Briggs  of 
Iowa  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  War  a  petition, 
signed  by  over  a  hundred  citizens  of  Iowa  County, 
in  which  they  complained  of  the  presence  of  a  great 
number  of  Indians  who  were  destroying  the  timber, 
removing  the  section  corners,  and  even  demanding 
rent  from  some  of  the  settlers  —  claiming  that  they 
owned  the  land  on  the  Iowa  Eiver."° 

To  investigate  conditions  and  to  report  upon  what 
steps  would  be  necessary  to  remove  the  cause  of 
complaint,  Brevet  Major  Samuel  Woods,  stationed 
at  Fort  Snelling,  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  State 
of  Iowa.  On  the  twenty-fifth  of  September  he  h^ft 
for  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  arriving  here  set  out  for 
Fort  Atkinson,  thinking  that  probably  the  Winne- 
bagoes  w^ere  the  Indians  causing  the  trouble.  But 
he  discovered  that  many  of  them  had  just  set  out  for 
the  upper  Mississippi,  and  those  remaining  behind 
were  so  few  in  number  that  they  could  cause  httle 
inconvenience  to  the  frontier.  From  Fort  Atkinson 
Major  Woods  i^assed  southward  through  Fayette, 
Buchanan,  Linn,  and  Johnson  counties  to  Iowa  City. 
At  this  time  the  region  traversed  was  sparsely  set- 
tk'd.  For  a  hundred  miles  south  of  Fort  Atkiiisc.n 
there  w^ere  only  two  settlements  —  one,  consisting  of 
a  few  families,  high  upon  the  Volga  TiWov,  and  tlie 
other  larger  in  numbers  clustered  about  some  mills 


42  OLD  PORT  SMELLING 

on  the  Wapsipiuicon  River.  About  fifteen  miles 
north  of  Marion  the  inhabitants  became  more  numer- 
ous. Here  were  found  Indians  —  Sacs  and  Foxes, 
Pottawattoniies,  and  Winnebagoes  —  but  they  were 
not  hostile  and  their  presence  caused  no  objection. 

It  was  at  Iowa  City  that  Major  Woods  heard  that 
the  inhabitants  on  the  Iowa,  English,  and  Skunk 
Rivers  had  been  making  the  loudest  complaints. 
Accordingly  he  started  up  the  Iowa  River  to  the 
vicinity  of  Marengo.  Here  he  learned  that  a  few 
days  before  the  settlers  near  the  town,  becoming 
tired  of  having  Indians  about  them,  armed  them- 
selves and  by  force  broke  up  the  Indian  encampment. 
Only  one  lodge  remained,  that  on  the  lands  of  a 
farmer  who  gave  permission  to  three  of  the  red  men 
to  live  under  his  protection. 

The  total  number  of  Indians,  Major  Woods  re- 
ported, consisted  of  five  or  six  hundred  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  Pottawattoniies,  and  Winnebagoes.  Among 
these  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  the  most  numerous. 
They  had  by  treaty  sold  their  lands  some  years  ear- 
lier and  had  been  removed  to  the  Missouri  River; 
but  they  preferred  their  old  home,  and  so  had  re- 
turned in  straggling  bands,  sometimes  going  back 
to  the  Missouri  to  get  their  annuities.  The  Winne- 
bagoes were  those  who  had  escaped  when  the  trilje 
was  being  transferred  to  the  new  reservation  north 
of  Fort  Snelling. 

The  complaints  against  these  Indians  were  that 
they  destroyed  a  great  deal  of  timber,  removed  the 
surveyors'  landmarks,  killed  the  game,  annoyed  the 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    43 

settlers,  and  that  ^vb.en  intoxicated  they  were  an 
actual  source  of  danger.  Believing  that  these  rea- 
sons were  well  founded,  Major  "Woods  advised  that 
the  Indians  be  removed  as  soon  as  possible.  Condi- 
tions did  not  demand  a  winter  campaign,  but  prep- 
arations should  be  made  for  the  removal  during  the 
earlv  summer."^ 

In  the  early  part  of  April  of  the  next  year  it  was 
known  that  two  companies  of  infantry  from  Fort 
Snelling,  and  one  company  of  dragoons  from  Fort 
Gaines  had  been  detailed  for  this  task.^'-  On  the 
twelfth  of  Mav  the  "Highland  Marv"  left  Fort 
Snelling,  lia\'ing  on  board  the  infantry  and  cavalry 
and  part  of  the  equipment,  wliile  in  tow  was  a  barge 
full  of  horses  and  mules. "^  The  soldiers  were  dis- 
embarked at  Dubuque,  whence  they  followed  the  trail 
to  Iowa  City,  along  which  they  "saw  nothing  except 
the  ravages  of  California  emigration."  Proceeding 
to  the  vicinity  of  Marengo,  a  council  was  held  with 
the  Indians.  But  the  latter  marched  into  the  council 
ten  abreast  carrying  their  war  clubs  and  nuinifesting 
such  a  hostile  disposition  tliat  it  was  impossibk^  for 
Major  Woods  to  accomplish  anything.'^^ 

For  a  while  it  seemed  that  active  military  opera- 
tions would  be  necessary.  The  Indians  becoming 
convinced  that  this  would  be  the  result,  and  fearing 
that  all  the  expenses  of  the  campaign  would  b(>  de- 
ducted from  the  annuities  of  the  tribe,  suggested  io 
two  men  of  the  neighborhood  —  a  ^fi'.  Stecu  and  a 
Mr.  Greenly  —  that  they  would  go  hack  lo  tlx-ir 
homes   il'  these  two  men   (Muild   be  appointed  1    llicir 


44  OLD  FORT  SMELLING 

guides.  When  Mr.  Steen  and  Mr.  Greenly  broached 
the  subject  to  Major  Woods  he  considered  it  thought- 
fully, and  finally  an  arrangement  was  made.  For 
every  Indian  who  left  the  Iowa  River  and  was  turned 
over  to  their  agent  west  of  the  Missouri  River,  the 
government  was  to  pay  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 
Five  hundred  dollars  was  to  be  advanced  to  pay  for 
the  provisions  of  the  party.  Upon  June  6th  a  sec- 
ond council  was  held  with  the  Indians,  during  which 
Major  Woods  impressed  upon  Chief  Poweshiek  and 
his  men  the  necessity  of  their  returning  and  the  ad- 
visability of  their  doing  it  peaceably."^ 

During  the  month  of  July  the  Indians  started  upon 
their  journey.  For  several  days  they  encamped 
near  Fort  Des  Moines,  and  on  July  16th  seventy  of 
the  warriors,  armed  and  painted,  paraded  on  horse- 
back through  the  streets  of  the  town  to  the  public 
square  where  for  an  hour  they  danced  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  two  or  three  hundred  interested  spec- 
tators in  the  frontier  town."** 

These  events  made  necessary  a  change  in  the  plans 
of  the  troops.  Company  E  of  the  Sixth  Infantry 
remained  at  their  camp  on  the  Iowa  River  for  some 
time,  but  upon  the  last  day  of  July  set  out  under  the 
command  of  Major  Woods  for  a  site  on  the  Des 
Moines  River  which  had  been  chosen  by  the  War 
Department  as  the  location  of  a  new  military  post. 
On  August  23,  1850,  the  troops  arrived  at  the  desig- 
nated place  and  began  the  erection  of  a  fort  which 
they  named  Fort  Clarke  in  honor  of  Colonel  Clarke 


FORTY  YEARS  OP  FRONTIER  DUTY    45 


the  commanding  officer  of  the  Sixth  Infantry.  The 
name,  however,  was  soon  clianged  to  Fort  Dodge. 

The  company  of  dragoons  was  occupied  during 
AngTist  and  September  in  making  a  tour  of  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  it  was  not  until 
October  that  the  cavalry  company  and  the  other  in- 
fantry company  returned  to  their  station  at  Fort 
Snelling."' 

Occupation  for  the  company  of  dragoons  was  fur- 
nished during  the  next  summer  when  Governor  Ram- 
sey was  sent  to  Pembina  to  draw  up  a  treaty  with 
the  Pillager  band  of  Chippewa  Indians.  On  August 
18,  1851,  the  party  set  out  from  Fort  Snelling.  Be- 
sides the  Governor  and  a  number  of  gentlemen  who 
accompanied  him,  the  party  consisted  of  twenty-five 
dragoons,  and  eight  French-Canadian  and  half-breed 
drivers  who  had  charge  of  six  baggage  wagons  and 
several  light  Red  River  carts.  The  march  was  very 
difficult  and  the  dragoons  were  kept  busy  repairing 
the  roads  over  the  swamp  lands  and  dragging  with 
ropes  the  heavy  wagons  over  the  quickly  made  cause- 
ways. The  treaty  which  was  made  after  tliis  diffi- 
cult journey  was  not  ratified  by  the  Senate. ^^* 

The  wonderful  expansion  of  tlie  Nation,  which 
occurred  in  the  latter  half  of  the  fifth  decade  of  the 
century,  turned  all  eyes  toward  the  fertile  valleys 
and  the  mountains  of  fabulous  wealth  on  the  Pacific 
Coast.  Even  before  the  acquisition  of  this  tcrritoi-y 
some  visionary  minds  had  pictured  i1  hound  lo  llie 
United  States,  if  not  by  i)olitical   ties,  at    h'nst    by 


46  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

bonds  of  steel."''  The  Oregon  treaty  of  1846  brought 
I>art  of  the  coveted  land  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  necessity  of  a  railroad  to  the 
Pacific  was  soon  realized.  But  sectional  interests 
prevented  agreement  upon  any  certain  route,  and 
it  was  decided  to  survey  the  most  promising  and 
choose  the  one  agreed  upon  by  the  engineers.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  army  appropriation  bill  of  1853  pro- 
vided $150,000  for  this  purpose.^'*^ 

Isaac  I.  Stevens,  the  newly  appointed  Governor 
of  Washington  Territory,  led  the  party  which  exam- 
ined the  country  between  the  parallels  of  forty-seven 
and  forty-nine  degrees  north  latitude  —  called  the 
Northern  Pacific  Survey.  He  left  Washington, 
D.  C,  on  May  9,  1853,  and  reached  St.  Paul  on  May 
27th.  According  to  his  instructions  he  was  author- 
ized to  call  upon  one  sergeant,  two  corporals,  one 
musician,  and  sixteen  privates  of  Company  D  First 
Dragoons,  who  w^ere  still  stationed  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing.^-'  Captain  Gardiner,  who  had  preceded  his  lead- 
er up  the  river,  had  selected  the  escort  and  collected 
the  party  on  May  24th  in  Camp  Pierce — a  temporary 
encampment  located  three  miles  northwest  of  the 
fort.'"  Early  in  June  camp  was  broken  and  the 
start  for  the  far  West  was  made,  at  first,  over  the 
Red  River  Trail,  and  then  across  the  prairies  to  Fort 
Union,  where  on  August  1st  they  were  joined  by 
others  who  had  been  sent  up  the  Missouri  with  sup- 
plies. Fort  Benton  was  reached  on  September  1st 
There  they  remained  until  the  twelfth  of  the  month 
when  Lieutenant  Saxton,  leading  a   similar  party 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    47 

eastward  from  Vancouver,  arrived.  Thus  a  survey 
from  the  Mississippi  to  tlie  Pacific  liad  ])een  com- 
pleted.^'^ 

On  the  journey  the  entire  party  had  been  divided 
into  small  groups,  who  conducted  surveys  and  ex- 
plorations in  various  directions.  To  each  of  these 
groups  were  detailed  a  few  of  the  dragoons,  who 
were  in  all  respects  an  integral  part  of  the  expedi- 
tion and  not  merely  a  giiard  for  protection.  Accord- 
ingly, no  special  mention  of  their  work  was  made  in 
the  report. ^^* 

After  thirty  years,  the  distinction  of  being  the 
most  northwestern  post  in  the  upper  Mississippi 
region  was  lost  by  Fort  Snelling.  Other  military 
stations  were  erected,  and  thereafter  many  of  its 
former  activities  were  conducted  from  these  stations 
on  the  extreme  frontier.  Yet  in  everything  contrib- 
uted by  these  newer  posts,  the  older  had  a  part ;  ac- 
counts of  them  reveal  their  dependence  on  Fort 
Snelling,  the  parent  post. 

As  early  as  1844  the  Secretary  of  War  had  re- 
ported that  plans  were  being  made  to  erect  two  new 
forts  between  Lake  Superioi-  and  the  Rivei-  St. 
Peter 's.^^"  But  notliing  was  done  at  this  time.  I^y 
a  treaty  of  October  13,  184G,  tlie  AVinnebagoes  living 
on  the  ** Neutral  Ground"  in  the  Turkey  Piver  Val- 
ley of  the  Iowa  country  agreed  lo  exchange  this 
reservation  for  one  "north  of  St.  Peter's  and  west 
of  the  Mississippi  Rivei-s ".'"''  By  treaties  in  the  fol- 
lowing Augiist,  the  Cliippewas  ceded  to  the  govern- 
ment a  ti-act  Iving  south  of  the  Crow  AVing  River 


48  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 


and  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  north  and 
east  of  the  so-called  Sioux-Chippewa  boundary 
line/"  This  was  the  area  agreed  on  by  the  govern- 
ment as  being  suitable  for  the  Winnebagoes.  In 
view  of  the  reputation  of  unruliness  possessed  by 
this  tribe,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  to  be  placed 
between  the  warring  tribes  —  the  Sioux  and  the 
Chippewas  —  the  establishment  of  a  post  on  the  res- 
ervation was  thought  desirable. 

The  transfer  of  the  tribe  took  place  during  the 
summer  of  1848 ;  and  in  the  same  fall  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral George  M.  Brooke  of  St.  Louis,  accompanied  by 
a  squadron  of  dragoons,  chose  a  point  opposite  the 
Nokay  River  as  a  desirable  location.^-^  This  com- 
pany and  a  company  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  from 
Fort  Snelling  were  employed  in  building  the  fort, 
and  when  cold  weather  prevented  further  opera- 
tions, they  were  withdrawn  to  Fort  Snelling,  where 
the  winter  was  passed.^-^  In  the  spring  the  troops 
returned,  and  Fort  Gaines  —  rechristened  Fort  Rip- 
ley—  was  occupied  on  the  thirteenth  of  April,  1849.^'° 

But  this  post  alone  was  unable  to  keep  the  Winne- 
bagoes in  check.  They  celebrated  the  first  fourth  of 
July  by  attacking  a  frontier  store  and  ''causing  one 
gentleman  to  escape  en  disJiahille  to  the  woods, 
where  he  danced  to  the  tune  of  the  mosquitoes  dur- 
ing some  three  days  and  nights.'"''  Again  and 
again  reports  of  riotous  revels  and  rumors  of  im- 
pending outbreaks  caused  help  to  be  sent  from  Fort 
Snelling  to  assist  the  troops  higher  up  the  river.'^^ 
In  the  spring  of  1857  the  fort  was  abandoned,  but 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    49 

Indian  disturbances  during  tlio  sunnner  caused  a 
detachment  to  be  sent  from  the  older  post.  These 
troops  remained  at  that  point  until  in  the  summer  of 
1858  they  were  transferred  to  the  newly  founded 
Fort  Abercrombie."^ 

The  treaties  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  and  Mondota, 
concluded  in  1851,  concentrated  the  Sioux  Indians 
on  a  long  irregular  reservation  along  the  upper  Min- 
nesota River.^"*  The  Indians  were  not  transferred 
until  the  summer  of  1853,  but  in  the  fall  of  the  previ- 
ous year  the  need  of  a  post  among  so  many  half 
civilized  people,  placed  in  a  small  territory,  was 
obvious.  Accordingly,  Colonel  Francis  Lee,  com- 
mandant at  Fort  Snelling,  and  Captain  Dana  of  the 
quartermaster's  department,  escorted  by  a  troop  of 
dragoons,  selected  a  suitable  site  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Minnesota  River,  a  dozen  miles  upstream  from 
the  town  of  New  Ulm. 

On  February  24,  1853,  seven  privates  of  Company 
D  of  the  First  Dragoons,  and  two  sergeants  and  thir- 
teen privates  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  were  sent  to  the 
location  to  begin  the  erection  of  the  fort.  In  April 
the  dragoons  were  ordered  to  return  to  Fort  Snelling 
and  Companies  C  and  K  of  the  Sixtli  Infantry  went 
up  the  river  under  tlie  command  of  Captain  James 
Monroe  and  became  part  of  the  permanent  garrison 
of  newly-founded  Fort  Ridgely.  One  other  com- 
pany came  up  from  Fort  Dodge  —  the  post  in  Iowa 
which  was  abandoned  with  this  withdrawal.'^'' 

Colonel  C.  F.  Smitli,  who  led  the  ex[)editioTi  fi-om 
Fort  Snelling  to  the  Red  River  during  llic  suiiiiiiri' 


50  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 


of  1856,  was  instructed  to  recommend  a  site  for  a 
post.  His  choice  of  Graham's  Point  on  the  Red 
River  was  accepted;  and  here,  in  the  fall  of  1857, 
Colonel  John  J.  Abercrombie  constructed  the  fort 
which  was  named  in  his  honor.  Colonel  Smith,  writ- 
ing from  Fort  Snelling,  gave  among  his  reasons  for 
the  choice  of  Graham's  Point  "the  additional  ad- 
vantage of  greater  facility  for  receiving  stores  from 
the  depot  liere".^^" 

With  the  building  of  these  posts.  Fort  Snelling 
lost  much  of  its  importance.  The  garrison  was 
small  and  the  fort  was  almost  nothing  more  than 
a  depot  for  supplying  the  more  advanced  forts  with 
food,  clothing,  and  ammunition."'  With  the  decline 
of  its  military  position,  the  idea  became  prevalent 
that  some  day  it  would  be  abandoned  entirely,  and 
the  land  thrown  open  to  settlement. 

The  neighboring  cities  of  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis, 
and  St.  Anthony  were  in  the  throes  of  real  estate 
speculation.  There  were  some  who  saw  in  Fort 
Snelling  a  site  more  advantageous  than  any  of  these. 
*'It  is  a  position  which  has  attracted  also  a  good 
deal  of  attention  on  account  of  its  superior  beauty 
of  location,  its  agricultural  advantages,  and  its  more 
notable  advantages  for  a  town  site",  said  Mr.  Mor- 
rill during  a  debate  on  the  floor  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives. "Whatever  witnesses  in  this  case  may 
have  diifered  upon  as  to  other  matters,  they  nearly 
all  agree  that,  as  a  point  for  a  town  site,  it  possesses 
superior  advantages  over  any  other  in  that  part  of 
the  countrv.""^ 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    51 

Successful  efforts  were  made  to  secure  this  site. 
On  June  6,  1857,  Mr.  William  King  Heiskell,  a  com- 
missioner appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  sold 
to  Mr.  Franklin  Steele,  who  was  acting  for  himself 
and  three  others,  the  entire  reservation  for  $90,000. 
The  President  approved  the  act  on  the  second  of 
July.  Other  parties  who  were  interested  in  securing 
the  site  were  not  aware  that  the  sale  was  to  be  made 
until  everything  had  been  accomplished.^"^ 

Immediately  there  arose  the  cry  of  graft :  the 
Republicans  saAV  in  the  transaction  the  corruption 
of  the  existing  Democratic  regime.  A  committee 
was  appointed  by  the  House  of  Representatives  to 
investigate  the  matter,  and  the  testimony  which  they 
took  covers  three  hundred  and  seven  pages.  Some 
witnesses  said  that  the  post  should  have  been  re- 
tained for  military  purposes;  others  insisted  that 
there  was  no  such  need.  Some  said  that  the  site  was 
admirable  for  a  city ;  a  few  stated  that  it  possessed 
no  such  advantages.  Some  said  that  it  was  neces- 
sary as  a  supply  station  for  the  upper  posts ;  others 
insisted  that  these  posts  could  be  supplied  more 
cheaply  by  a  direct  route. ^" 

Bitter  debates  marked  the  consideration  of  the 
report.  The  ol)jects,  character,  and  ability  of  the 
witnesses  were  questioned.  One  member  of  the 
House  said  that  ''Fort  Snelling  is  a  very  elegant 
appanage  to  very  elegant  gentlemen,  who  have  a 
very  elegant  place  for  parade  and  sliow.'""  An 
other  remarked  that  ''the  oflicers  at  Fort  SiicHiiig 
were  opposed  to  the  sale  and   it  was  nntiirnl   that 


52  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

they  sliould  be.  They  had  a  beautiful  place  of  resi- 
dence, they  had  the  most  comfortable  quarters,  and 
a  superabundance  of  stores  for  their  subsistence. 
There  they  were  living  upon  the  fat  of  the  land,  with- 
out anything'  under  God's  heaven  to  do.  Society 
was  near  at  hand  in  a  city  populous,  and  furnishing 
all  the  luxuries  of  life.  They  of  course  did  not  want 
to  surrender  such  quarters  and  such  comforts  for 
the  hardships  and  trials  of  a  frontier  station.  "^*^ 

Finally,  on  June  second  the  whole  matter  was  laid 
on  the  table.  On  May  27,  1858,  the  troops  had  been 
withdrawn,^*'  and  on  July  19,  1858,  the  quartermas- 
ter turned  the  buildings  over  to  Mr.  Steele.  But 
with  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War  Fort  Snelling  was 
used  by  the  government  as  a  training  station,  and 
after  the  war  it  was  continued  as  a  permanent  post. 
Mr.  Steele  had  been  unable  to  pay  the  entire  $90,000, 
and  as  he  claimed  rent  at  the  rate  of  $2000  a  month 
for  the  time  it  had  been  used  by  the  government,  the 
matter  was  again  taken  up.  It  was  finally  adjusted 
in  an  agreement  whereby  Mr.  Steele  retained  the 
greater  part  of  the  land,  and  the  government  kept 
the  buildings  and  1521.20  acres  surrounding  the 
fort.  Later  some  of  the  land  was  re-purchased 
from  Mr.  Steele."* 

The  history  of  Old  Fort  Snelling  closes  with  the 
removal  of  the  troops  in  1858.  The  story  of  its  use 
during  the  Civil  War,  of  the  part  it  played  during 
the  Sioux  massacre  of  1862,  of  its  influence  through- 
out the  West  during  the  years  when  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  Department  of  Dakota  were  located  within 


FORTY  YEARS  OF  FRONTIER  DUTY    33 

its  walls,  of  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  established 
(luring  the  summer  of  1917,  lies  outside  the  scope  of 
this  volume.  The  life  of  the  new  Fort  Snelling  re- 
vives  the  traditions  of  patriotism,  loyalty,  and  sacri- 
fice, which  have  centered  about  the  post  since  that 
day  in  x^ugust,  1819,  which  witnessed  its  beginning. 


IV 

LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH 

An  old  settler,  speaking  of  the  expulsion  of  the 
squatters  on  the  military  reservation  remarked: 
^'At  that  time,  and  both  before  and  since,  the  com- 
manding officers  of  the  fort  were  the  lords  of  the 
north.  They  ruled  supreme.  The  citizens  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  fort  were  liable  at  any  time  to 
be  thrust  into  the  guard-house.  While  the  chief  of 
the  fort  was  the  king,  the  subordinate  officers  were 
the  princes,  and  persons  have  been  deprived  of  their 
liberty  and  imprisoned  by  those  tyrants  for  the  most 
trivial  wrong,  or  some  imag^inary  offense.""^  This 
statement  is  doubtless  rather  extreme ;  but  the  fact 
remains  that  the  fort  was  the  only  agency  of  govern- 
ment in  the  region,  and  so  the  commanding  officer 
was  indeed  the  supreme  ruler  in  so  far  as  he  directed 
the  policy  and  activities  of  the  post. 

Interest  in  Old  Fort  Snelling  is  not  primarily  in 
the  logs  and  stones  which  made  up  its  building,  but 
in  the  men  and  women  who  lived  within  its  walls. 
Manv  were  the  lives  influenced  bv  a  residence  in  its 
barracks.  Characters  were  formed  by  the  stern 
rigors  of  frontier  service.  Far  from  busy  cities,  in 
the  tiresome  routine  of  army  life,  men  were  being 
trained  who  were  to  be  leaders  in  the  political  and 

54 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  55 


military  life  of  the  Nation.  Others  never  rose  to  a 
higher  position;  but  they  command  attention  be- 
cause in  their  faithful  performance  of  daily  duties, 
year  after  year,  they  were  quietly  helping  to  make 
the  history  of  the  Northwest.  It  is  impossible  to 
consider  every  man  who  might  be  classed  among  the 
"Lords  of  the  North",  but  a  review  of  the  careers 
of  a  few  of  them  indicates  the  t\i)e  of  men  whose 
natural  ability  was  supplemented  by  the  self-con- 
fidence and  the  grim  determination  which  are  the 
products  of  frontier  service.^^ 


146 


The  memory  of  the  man  who  led  the  troops  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Minnesota  River  in  1819  is  commem- 
orated by  a  fort  and  a  city  in  another  State.  The 
trials  which  he  endured  during  that  first  winter  at 
Cantonment  New  Hope  were  only  harljingers  of 
greater  difficulties  v*'hicli  were  to  bring  to  him  the 
death  of  a  frontier  martyr.  Although  he  had  l)eon 
educated  for  the  lawyer's  profession,  Henry  Leaven- 
worth raised  a  company  of  volunteers  in  Delaware 
County,  New  York,  in  1812,  and  was  elected  its  cap- 
tain. He  served  under  General  Winfield  Scott  and 
won  honors  for  distinguished  service  at  the  Battle  of 
Chippewa  and  at  Niagara  Falls.  After  the  war  he 
continued  in  tlie  army,  being  appointed  lieutenant 
colonel  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Infantry  on  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1818.  After  conducting  the  troops  u]>  the 
Mississippi  River  in  1819  and  remaining  tln-oiigli  tlio 
winter,  he  was  superseded  by  Colonel  Snelliiig. 

Expeditions  hikI  Tivlian  flntios  occii])i('(l  liis  nttcii- 


56  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

tion  during  the  next  few  years,  and  in  May,  1827,  he 
established  "Cantonment  Leavenworth"  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Missouri  River.  On  February  8,  1832, 
the  name  was  changed  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  Dur- 
ing a  campaign  against  the  Pawnee  Indians,  who 
were  harassing  the  caravans  of  the  Santa  Fe  trad- 
ers, Colonel  Leavenworth  was  taken  sick  with  fever 
and  died  on  July  21,  1834,  in  a  hospital  wagon  at 
Cross  Timbers  in  Indian  Territory.  The  body  was 
wrapped  in  spices  and  sent  by  w^ay  of  St.  Louis,  New 
Orleans,  and  New  York  City,  to  Delhi,  New  York, 
where  it  remained  until  in  1902  it  was  reinterred  in 
the  national  cemetery  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  A 
granite  shaft  some  twelve  feet  high  marks  his  rest- 
ing-place.^^'' 

The  monument  to  the  man  under  whose  direction 
the  fort  was  built  is  the  modern  military  establish- 
ment named  Fort  Snelling.  The  erection  of  this 
fort  w^as  the  last  achievement  of  a  life  which,  though 
comparatively  brief,  had  already  accomplished 
much.  Josiah  Snelling  was  born  in  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1782.  His  first  commission  was  as  a 
first  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Infantry  and  bears  the 
date  of  May  3,  1808.  In  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe 
on  November  7,  1811,  he  commanded  one  of  the  com- 
panies that  were  attacked  in  their  camp  in  the  early 
morning.  An  attempt  was  made  by  a  company  of 
dragoons  to  drive  off  the  groups  of  Indians  whose 
fire  was  the  heaviest,  but  the  officer  who  w^as  leading- 
was  wounded  and   the   attempt  failed.     "The   In- 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTPI  57 


dians",  reported  General  Harrison,  'Svere,  how- 
ever, immediately  and  gallantly  dislodged  from  their 
advantageous  position  by  Captain  Snelling,  at  the 
head  of  his  company.""'  During  the  War  of  1812 
he  served  with  Hull's  armv  about  Detroit,  and  when 

*  7 

the  fort  was  surrendered  he  was  taken  a  prisoner 
and  brought  to  Canada.  But  he  was  exchanged  and 
ordered  to  Plattsburg,  and  later  was  sent  to  Fort 
Erie  on  the  staff  of  General  George  Izard.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  was  retained  as  lieutenant  col- 
onel of  the  Sixth  Infantry  and  was  stationed  at 
Plattsburg  for  four  years. ^^'^ 

Bravery  and  impetuosity  were  two  of  Colonel 
Snelling 's  traits.  During  the  campaign  about  De- 
troit he  was  married  to  Abigail  Hunt  by  the  chaplain 
of  General  Hull's  armv.  The  general  and  other  of- 
ficers  were  present.  An  account  of  the  life  of  his 
wife  states  that  "the  ceremony  had  been  performed 
but  a  few  moments  when  the  drum  beat  to  arms ;  and 
Capt.  Snelling  instantly  started  up  to  go  in  search 
of  his  sword.  All  rushed  to  the  door  except  Gen. 
Hull,  who  la^dng  his  hand  on  the  young  officer's 
shoulder  as  he  was  about  leaving  the  house,  said, 
'Snelling,  you  need  not  go,  I  will  excuse  you.'  'By 
no  means,'  was  the  reply,  'I  feel  more  like  doing  my 
dutv  now  than  ever.'  'Stav,  it  is  a  false  alarm  by 
my  order,'  said  the  General."^'"  The  ign()])le  sur- 
render of  Detroit  by  General  Hull  was  de])l()i(Ml  l)y 
many  of  the  men  under  him.  The  story  is  told  lliat 
while  General  Hull's  aid  was  trying  to  ])lac('  liie 
white  flag  in  position  he  called,  ''Snelling,  come  and 


58  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

help  me  fix  this  flag."  Whereupon  that  officer  re- 
plied, *^No,  sir;  I  will  not  soil  my  hands  with  that 
flag."^^^ 

On  June  1,  1819,  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the 
Fifth  Infantry,  and  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  M^here  the 
following  winter  was  passed.  In  the  summer  he 
started  up  the  Mississippi,  but  was  detained  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  by  a  court-martial  of  which  he  was 
the  president,  and  it  was  not  until  August  that  he 
reached  the  troops  at  Camp  Cold  Water.  From  that 
time  until  the  fall  of  1827  Colonel  Snelling  was  in 
command  of  the  post,  when  not  absent  on  official 
business.  Except  when  he  had  been  drinking  too 
much,  he  was  a  favorite  with  the  troops,  and  as  he 
had  red  hair  and  was  somewhat  bald,  they  nick- 
named him  the  "prairie-hen".^^" 

In  the  fall  of  1827  the  Fifth  Infantry  was  with- 
drawn from  the  post  and  was  succeeded  by  the  First 
Infantry.  The  Snelling  family  located  at  St.  Louis, 
while  Colonel  Snelling  proceeded  to  Washington  to 
settle  some  accounts.  While  here  he  was  suddenly 
taken  sick  and  died  on  August  20, 1828.^^^ 

The  man  whose  name  was  applied  to  the  post 
which  has  become  so  historic  was  a  typical  soldier  of 
his  day.  Along  with  the  bravery  and  zeal  of  the 
army,  he  possessed  also  its  failings.  "Of  myself  I 
have  little  to  say",  he  wrote  on  one  occasion.  "I 
entered  the  army  a  subaltern,  almost  eighteen  years 
ago.  From  obscurity  I  have  passed  through  every 
grade  to  the  command  of  a  regiment.  I  owe  nothing 
to  executive  patronage,  for  I  have  neither  friend  or 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  59 


relation  connected  with  the  government :  I  have  ob- 
tained my  rank  in  the  ordinary  course  of  promotion, 
and  have  retained  it  by  doing  my  duty;  and  I  really 
flatter  myself  that  I  still  possess  the  confidence  of 
the  government,  and  the  respect  of  those  who  serve 
with  and  under  me. ' '  ^^* 

Daniel  Webster,  speaking  in  the  Senate  on  July  9, 
1850,  remarked  that  it  was  not  in  Indian  wars  that 
heroes  were  celebrated,  but  it  was  there  that  they 
were  formed.^ ^^  The  occasion  of  this  speech  was  the 
death  of  the  President,  Zacharv  Tavlor,  who  had 
served  for  many  years  upon  the  Indian  frontier. 
As  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  First  Infantry,  he  came 
to  Fort  Snelling  during  the  summer  of  1828  and 
remained  there  for  a  year,  when  he  established  his 
headquarters  at  Fort  Crawford.  His  achievements 
on  the  frontier  and  in  the  Mexican  War,  which  finally 
brought  him  to  the  presidency  are  a  familiar  story, 
and  the  training  which  he  received  in  Old  Fort  Snell- 
ing was  only  a  part  of  that  which  gave  him  the  name 
of  ''Rough  and  Ready".  It  is  a  remarka])le  fact 
that  at  Fort  Snelling  he  was  remembered  less  for  his 
own  actions  than  for  those  of  his  four  pretty  daugh- 
ters whose  presence  spread  commotion  in  the  hearts 
of  the  homesick  young  officers.^' 


156 


In  1837  the  First  Infantry  was  witlidi-awn  and 
part  of  the  Fifth  Infantry  returned  lo  lis  roiincr 
station.  Among  the  familiar  faces  scon  ahoul  llic 
garrison  again  was  that  of  a  man  whose  ecccnlrici- 


60  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

ties  and  personality  are  closely  associated  with  the 
life  of  the  fort.^"  In  reporting  the  casualties  of  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  September  8, 1847,  the  gen- 
eral commanding  the  American  forces  applied  an 
adjective  to  only  one  of  the  dead.  The  report  reads, 
'Hhe  service  mourns  the  high-souled  Scott,  brevet 
lieutenant  colonel  5th  infantry '  '.^^^  This  was  Martin 
Scott,  one  of  the  most  human,  most  lovable,  and  most 
energetic  men  who  ever  reviewed  troops  on  the  pa- 
rade ground  of  Old  Fort  Snelling.  Only  from  July 
15,  1837,  until  August  20,  1837,  was  he  in  command, 
but  for  many  years  he  was  a  familiar  figure  around 
the  barracks  and  in  the  surrounding  country. 

Hunting  was  his  favorite  pastime,  and  many  a 
time  the  prairie  rang  with  the  yelping  of  the  twenty 
or  twenty-five  dogs  which  he  kept  under  the  care  of 
a  special  negro  servant  at  the  fort.  His  deadly  aim 
was  known  to  all.  An  army  officer  who  insulted  him 
was  severely  wounded  in  a  duel ;  he  often  played  the 
part  of  William  Tell  by  shooting  with  his  pistol 
through  an  apple  placed  upon  the  head  of  his  negro ; 
and  if  credence  is  to  be  given  to  the  stories  which 
are  told,  even  the  animals  were  aware  that  from  him 
there  was  no  escape.  A  coon  sitting  high  on  a  tree 
was  shot  at  by  several  hunters  in  succession,  but 
still  remained  in  its  position.  Captain  Scott  came 
along  and  took  aim,  whereupon  the  coon  asked, 
''Who  is  that?"  The  reply  was,  ''My  name  is 
Scott."  "Scott?  what  Scott?"  continued  the  coon. 
"Captain  Martin  Scott."  "Are  you  Captain  Mar- 
tin Scott?"     There  was  a  pause  before  the  voice  in 


LORDS  OP  THE  NORTH  61 

the  tree-top  continued,  "Then  hold  on  —  don't  shoot; 
I  may  as  well  come  down." ^^'^ 

Martin  Scott  was  born  in  Bennington,  Vermont, 
on  January  17,  1788.  His  family  was  extremely 
poor,  but  because  of  his  freedom  from  army  vices  — 
gambling  and  drinking  —  he  was  able  in  later  years 
to  do  them  many  favors.  His  kindness  was  equalled 
only  by  his  bravery.  For  gallant  conduct  during 
the  Mexican  AVar  he  received  several  promotions, 
and  held  a  commission  as  lieutenant  colonel  when  he 
met  death  leading  his  regiment  in  the  battle  of  Mo- 
lino  del  Bey.''' 

A  newspaper  correspondent  who  went  over  the 
field  of  battle,  saw  a  gray-headed  soldier  spreading 
the  blanket  over  the  corpse  of  a  fallen  comrade.     "I 
rode  up  to  him",  wrote  the  reporter  to  his  news- 
paper, "and  asked  him  whether  that  was  an  officer. 
He  looked  up,  and  every  lineament  of  his  face  be- 
tokening the  greatest  grief,  replied,  'you  never  asked 
a  question  sir,  more  easily  answered,  it  is  an  officer.' 
I  then  asked  him  who  he  was.     He  again  replied, 
'The  best  soldier  of  the  5th  infantry,  sir.'     I  then 
alighted  from  my  horse  and  uncovering  the  face, 
found  it  was  Col.  Martin  Scott.     As  I  again  covered 
the  face,  the  soldier  continued,  without  apparently 
addressing  himself  to  any  person   in  particular  — 
'Thev  have  killed  him  — thev  will  be  paid  for  this  — 
if  it  had  only  been  me  —  T  have  served  with  hiin  al- 
most four  enlistments  but  what  will  his  ])()(>r  family 
say?'     And  as  he  concluded  thus  the  tears  coursed 
down  his  furrowed  cheeks,  and  the  swelling  of  his 


62  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

bosom  showed  how  deeply  he  was  affected  by  the 
death  of  his  veteran  and  gallant  commander, 


^  ?  161 


When  the  Fifth  Infantry  was  transferred  in  1840 
there  was  a  second  home-coming  at  Fort  Snelling  in 
that  it  was  succeeded  by  parts  of  the  First  Infantr}' 
which  remained  until  the  year  1848.  Captain  Seth 
Eastman  was  in  command  at  four  different  times 
during  this  period,  and  it  was  through  his  eyes  that 
we  can  see  Old  Fort  Snelling  as  it  was/*'^  After  his 
graduation  from  the  Military  Academy  he  was  an 
assistant  teacher  of  drawing  at  West  Point.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  served  in  the  Florida  War  and  on  the 
frontier  until  1850,  when  he  was  called  to  Washing- 
ton to  illustrate  the  History,  Condition,  and  F^iture 
Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States. 
Active  service  on  the  frontier  and  in  the  Civil  War 
followed,  and  in  1866  he  was  breveted  a  brigadier 
general.^*'^ 

Mary  Henderson  Eastman,  his  wife,  also  com- 
mands attention.  The  intimate  association  of  the 
fort  with  the  surrounding  Indians  brought  to  her 
knowledge  many  incidents  connected  with  their  life 
which  she  embodied  in  a  volume  published  in  1849 
and  entitled:  DahcotaJi:  or.  Life  and  Legends  of 
the  Sioux  around  Fort  Snelling.  In  this  volume 
Long-fellow  read  of  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha,  which 
he  describes  so  picturesquely  in  Hiaivatha.^'''*  Other 
literarv  work  was  done  bv  Mrs.  Eastman,  one  of  her 
volumes  being  Aimt  Pliyllis's  Cabin,  a  reply  to  Mrs. 
Stowe's  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.^^^ 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  63 

Parts  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  were  garrisoned  in 
Fort  Snelling  from  1848  to  1852,  and  beginning  in 
1850  there  was  also  a  company  of  the  First  Dragoons 
who  engaged  in  many  of  the  expeditions  narrated  in 
the  preceding  chapter.  Among  the  officers  who  com- 
manded during  this  period  was  Lieutenant  WilHani 
T.  Magruder,  who  was  killed  on  July  3,  1863,  at  the 
Battle  of  Gettysburg  while  serving  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Confederate  army.^'^°  One  company  of  the  Third 
Artillery  was  located  at  the  post  from  1853  to  1856. 
At  the  head  of  this  company  was  Captain  W.  T. 
Sherman  who,  after  serving  in  the  Indian  wars  and 
the  Mexican  War,  rose  to  prominence  in  the  Civil 
War  during  which  he  was  brevetted  a  major  general. 
After  the  Civil  War  he  was  appointed  commander  of 
the  Department  of  the  East.^" 

Among  the  last  troops  which  occupied  Fort  Snell- 
ing before  it  was  abandoned  in  1858  was  a  part  of 
the  Tenth  Infantry.  Major  E.  R.  S.  Canby  of  this 
regiment  was  in  command  of  the  fort  during  the 
summer  and  autumn  of  1856.  His  was  a  wonderful 
record  of  achievement  upon  the  frontier  and  in  the 
Civil  War,  and  like  Colonel  Leavenworth  he  met  his 
death  in  service.  Born  in  Kentucky  the  year  that 
Fort  Snelling  was  founded,  he  moved  to  Indiana  as 
a  boy.  He  was  appointed  to  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point  in  1835  and  graduated  in  1839.  For 
the  next  three  years  he  w^as  engaged  as  a  second 
lieutenant  in  the  Second  Infantry  in  the  Florida 
War,  and  upon  the  successful  termination  of  tlie 
campaigns  he  w^as  employed  in  removing  the  Cliero- 


64  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

kees,  Choctaws,  and  Creeks  to  Indian  Territory. 
After  a  few  years  in  garrison  duty  and  the  recruit- 
ing service  he  participated  in  the  Mexican  War, 
being  promoted  "for  gallant  and  meritorious  ser- 
vice" at  Contreras,  Cherubusco,  and  the  Belen  Gate 
of  the  City  of  Mexico.  On  March  3,  1855,  a  promo- 
tion made  him  major  in  the  Tenth  Infantry;  and  it 
was  while  holding  this  position  that  he  served  at 
Fort  Snelling. 

In  1858  Major  Canby  was  transferred  to  Fort 
Bridger,  Utah,  where  he  commanded  an  expedition 
against  the  Navajo  Indians.  While  stationed  at 
Fort  Defiance,  New  Mexico,  during  the  early  years 
of  the  Civil  War,  he  repelled  the  Confederate  gen- 
eral, Sibley,  who  left  one-half  of  his  force  behind 
him  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  On  March 
31,  1862,  he  was  made  a  brigadier  general  of  volun- 
teers and  summoned  to  Washington  to  assist  Secre- 
tary of  War  Stanton.  While  here  General  Canby 
was  called  upon  to  take  charge  of  a  difficult  position. 
Draft  riots  in  New  York  City  from  July  13th  to  July 
16th  resulted  in  the  killing  and  wounding  of  about  a 
thousand  people  and  the  destruction  of  about  one 
and  a  half  million  dollars  worth  of  property.^''^  On 
July  17th  General  Canby  was  put  in  charge  of  the 
Federal  troops  in  the  city,  and  he  was  later  able  to 
enforce  the  provisions  of  the  draft  without  difficul- 
ties.^*'^ Following  this  came  an  appointment  as  com- 
mander of  the  military  division  of  West  Mississippi, 
where  he  was  wounded  by  Confederate  guerrillas. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Edward  Canby,  then  a 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  65 

major  general  of  volunteers  was  sent  to  the  far  West 
as  commander  of  the  Department  of  the  Columbia. 
Here  the  United  States  was  engaged  in  a  war  witli 
the  Modoc  Indians  led  by  their  chief  "Captain 
Jack".  On  April  11,  1873,  General  Canby  held  a 
peace  parley  with  the  Indians.  It  had  been  agreed 
that  both  parties  should  be  unarmed,  but  in  the 
middle  of  the  negotiations  "Captain  Jack"  suddenly 
drew  a  revolver  from  his  breast,  and  shot  Canby 
through  the  head  killing  him  instantly.^'" 

Other  officers  at  the  post  who  had  real  power  were 
the  garrison  physicians.  One  of  these,  Dr.  John 
Emerson  was  a  giant  in  body  and  impulsive  in  spirit. 
On  a  certain  day  in  early  winter  when  the  quarter- 
master was  distributing  stoves  to  the  officers,  Dr. 
Emerson  asked  for  one  for  his  negro  servant.  Tliis 
the  quartermaster  refused,  saying  that  there  were 
not  enough  in  store;  whereupon  the  doctor  insinu- 
ated that  the  statement  was  a  lie.  Upon  being  in- 
sulted thus  the  quartermaster  struck  his  companion 
between  the  eyes.  Emerson  turned  on  his  heels  im- 
mediatelv,  but  he  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  a 
brace  of  pistols  which  he  pointed  at  his  assailant. 
The  fighting  spirit  of  the  quartermaster  fell  at  the 
appearance  of  these  weapons,  and  ho  started  across 
the  parade  ground  on  a  run  followed  by  the  doctor. 
A  third  character  appeared  in  the  person  of  Major 
Plympton,  the  commanding  officer,  who  arrested  Dr. 
Emerson.  This  episode  gave  rise  to  a  great  commo- 
tion in  the  garrison.     One  group  wlio  waiileil  some 


66  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

excitement  urged  that  only  in  blood  could  the  quarrel 
be  settled;  while  the  other  group  sought  for  peace, 
knowing  that  there  was  no  other  physician  nearer 
than  Prairie  du  Chien.  Not  for  several  days  was 
the  quarrel  patched  up,  and  then  the  terms  were 
never  made  public.^'^ 

The  cause  of  all  this  trouble  was  Dred  Scott,  man 
of  color,  and  the  slave  of  Dr.  Emerson.  He  had  been 
brought  to  Fort  Snelling  by  his  master  in  1836,  and 
here  he  was  married  to  Harriet,  also  colored,  who 
had  been  sold  by  Major  Taliaferro  to  the  doctor. 
When  Dr.  Emerson  was  transferred  to  Missouri,  he 
took  Dred  Scott  wdth  him.  After  the  death  of  his 
master,  Scott  began  proceedings  in  the  courts  for 
his  freedom  on  the  ground  that  his  residence  at  the 
military  post  made  him  free  —  Fort  Snelling  being 
located  on  soil  where  slavery  w^as  prohibited  by  the 
Missouri  Compromise  of  1820.  Mrs.  Emerson,  who 
w^anted  to  avoid  an  appearance  in  the  courts,  made 
over  the  control  of  Scott  to  John  F.  A.  Sanford,  and 
the  case  was  finally  brought  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States.  Thus  Old  Fort  Snelling  was 
connected  with  the  case  of  Scott  vs.  Sanford,  which 
was  so  important  among  the  events  leading  up  to  the 
Civil  War.^" 

Were  battles  and  military  operations  alone  con- 
sidered, the  annals  of  Fort  Snelling  would  comprise 
few  pages;  and  were  only  military  men  characterized 
one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  the  life  of  the  fort 
would  be  omitted.     The  influence  of  the  fort  on  the 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  67 

Indians  was  felt  more  through  the  quiet  daily  work 
of  the  Indian  agent  who  was  their  official  friend. 
Although  he  was  an  officer  entirely  distinct  from  the 
military  organization  at  the  fort,  his  work  may  legit- 
imately be  accredited  among  the  other  activities  of 
the  post.  He  was,  in  fact,  an  army  official.  The  act 
of  Augiist  7,  1789,  which  organized  the  War  Depart- 
ment, placed  Indian  affairs  in  the  hands  of  the  Sec- 
retary ;  ^'^  on  July  9,  1832,  a  commissioner  of  Indian 
affairs  was  authorized ;  ^' *  and  on  June  30,  1834,  the 
relations  of  the  Indian  agents  to  the  military  depart- 
ment were  more  clearly  defined.  The  Superintend- 
ent of  Indian  Affairs,  the  Indian  agents,  and  the  sub- 
agents  were  given  the  right  to  call  upon  the  military 
forces  to  remove  all  trespassers  in  the  Indian  coun- 
try, to  procure  the  arrest  and  trial  of  all  Indians 
accused  of  committing  any  crime,  and  to  break  up 
any  distillery  set  up  in  the  Indian  country.^" 

By  the  act  of  March  3,  1849,  the  Department  of 
the  Interior  was  organized.  Section  Five  of  the  act 
stipulated  that  ''the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  shall 
oxercise  the  supervisory  and  appellate  powers  now 
exercised  by  the  Secretary  of  the  War  Department, 
in  relation  to  all  the  acts  of  the  Commissioner  of 
Indian  Affairs".''*'  On  the  w^hole  this  law  did  not 
disturb  the  cooperation  between  the  two  branches  of 
the  government  service,  although  the  commander  at 
Fort  Snelling  intimated  to  the  agent  that  his  priv- 
ileges were  "not  of  right  but  by  courtesy".'"^ 

One  name  more  than  any  other  is  associated  with 
the   agency  at   Fort   Snelling  —  usually   calU'd   the 


68  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

agency  of  St.  Peter 's.  From  1820  to  1840  regiments 
came  and  went,  and  the  officers  who  ruled  as  ' '  Lords 
of  the  North"  were  soon  transferred  to  other  posts. 
The  military  establishment  was  itself  known  by  sev- 
eral different  names  in  succession,  but  the  Indian 
agent  remained  the  same  —  Lawrence  Taliaferro. 
His  was  a  lasting  influence  —  lasting  because  of  the 
position  he  held  in  the  memories  of  his  wards  and 
his  associates,  and  lasting  because  of  the  records 
that  he  left. 

To  the  Indians  he  was  a  real  "Father".  Amer- 
icans, Scotch,  Sioux,  and  French  could  all  find  mthin 
his  breast,  they  said,  a  kindred  spirit,  and  they  be- 
stowed upon  him  the  name  of  "Four  Hearts"  be- 
cause of  the  impartiality  of  his  actions  to  all  nation- 
alities.^^^  In  June,  1858,  a  number  of  Sioux  chiefs 
were  in  Washington  and  came  to  see  him.  ' '  My  old 
Father,"  said  Little  Crow,  "we  have  called  upon 
you;  we  love  you;  we  respect  you.  .  .  .  Since 
you  left  us  a  dark  cloud  has  hung  over  our  nation. 
We  have  lost  confidence  in  the  promises  of  our  Great 
Father,  and  his  people;  bad  men  have  nearly  de- 
stroyed us.  .  .  .  We  failed  to  get  a  friend  in 
anyone  like  you;  they  all  joined  the  traders.  We 
know  your  heart,  it  feels  for  your  old  children."  ^^^ 

Those  who  were  associated  with  him  at  the  fort 
also  had  kind  words  for  him.  "He  belonged  to  a 
class  more  common  then  than  now",  remarked  the 
son  of  Colonel  Bliss.  "He  imagined  it  to  be  his  im- 
perative duty  to  see  that  every  Indian  under  his 
charge  had  the  enjoyment  of  all  his  rights,  and  never 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  69 

seemed  to  realize  his  opportunities  for  arranging 
with  contractors  for  the  supply  of  inferior  goods  and 
for  dividing  the  profits.  "^'*°  Of  this  honesty  Talia- 
ferro wrote:  "I  have  the  Sad  Consolation  of  leav- 
ing after  twenty  Seven  years  —  the  public  Service  as 
poor  as  when  first  I  entered  —  The  only  evidence  of 
my  integrity  ".^®^ 

No  one  can  write  of  Fort  Snelling  without  using 
the  papers  which  Lawrence  Taliaferro  left.  The 
diary  kept  by  him  during  these  twenty  years  shows 
the  meager  pleasures  and  grim  duties  of  his  task. 
Of  this  diary  only  a  few  fragmentary  pages  are  ex- 
tant—  three  roughly  bound  collections  of  sheets, 
man}'  of  them  torn,  many  of  them  half-burned,  and 
their  writing  faded.  But  from  almost  every  page 
that  is  legible  some  information  is  gleaned,  concern- 
ing the  life  of  the  soldiers,  the  visits  of  the  Indians, 
the  state  of  the  weather,  and  reflections  on  Indian 
relations  and  the  best  time  for  j3lanting  potatoes.^^^ 
His  wide  acquaintance  and  the  great  extent  of  terri- 
tory which  his  agency  covered  led  to  correspondence 
with  many  men.  These  letters  also  passed  through 
a  fire,  and  those  that  were  rescued  are  now  bound  in 
four  volumes. ^^^ 

His  reports  to  General  William  Clark,  Superin- 
tendent of  Indian  Affairs  at  St.  Louis,  were  for- 
warded to  Washington  where  they  are  now  kept  in 
the  files  of  the  Indian  office.'^*  With  methodical  care 
Governor  Clark  copied  the  letters  which  he  received 
into  letter  books.  The  existence  of  these  letter 
books  was  not  known  until  a  few  years  ago,  when 


70  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

some  of  them  were  fomid  in  the  hands  of  a  junk 
dealer  in  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  were  rescued  —  a 
great  gain  to  the  history  of  the  West.^^^ 

Many  years  after  he  closed  his  connection  with  the 
agency  Lawrence  Taliaferro  wrote  an  ^'Autobiog- 
raphy"— ^a  narrative  that  shows  all  the  quaintness 
and  egotism  of  the  man.  *'Not  until  after  the  year 
1840 ' ',  he  wrote  ' '  did  the  government  become  unfor- 
tunate in  the  selection  of  their  agents  for  Indian 
affairs."'®"  From  this  account  can  be  gleaned  in- 
formation to  supplement  the  bare  facts  usually  given 
about  his  life.  His  ancestors  had  come  to  England 
from  Genoa,  Italy,  and  later  they  emigrated  to  Vir- 
ginia. Here  Lawrence  Taliaferro  was  born  on  Feb- 
ruary 28, 1794.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  joined  the 
army  and  served  through  the  War  of  1812,  being  a 
first  lieutenant  when  it  closed.  Although  he  received 
no  other  promotion  he  was  always  known  among  his 
associates  as  '' Major  ".^^^ 

He  was  appointed  Indian  agent  for  St.  Peter's  on 
March  27,  1819,  and  on  April  1,  1819,  he  accepted  — 
resigning  the  same  day  from  the  army."^  He 
reached  his  new  station  probably  in  the  summer  of 
1820,  and  was  immediately  engaged  in  the  duties 
connected  with  Indian  affairs.'^^  During  his  term  of 
office  he  was  continually  troubled  by  ill-health  which 
resulted  from  his  campaigns  in  the  late  w^ar.  In 
1824  he  resigned  because  of  this  ill-health,  and  al- 
though he  continued  in  service,  Governor  Clark  at 
one  time  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  War  that  "his 
fate  is  considered  as  verv  doubtful. ' '  ^^° 


LORDS  OF  THE  NORTH  71 

As  early  as  1831  lie  confided  to  his  diary  that 
* '  there  is  something  of  a  Combination  of  Persons  at 
work  day  after  day  to  pick  at  my  Actions  both  public 
and  private  ".^^^  His  resignation  finally  came  in 
1839,  and  he  closed  his  connection  with  the  Depart- 
ment on  January  1,  1840,  because  he  could  no  longer 
endure  the  machinations  of  the  traders. ^^-  There- 
after he  made  his  home  at  Bedford,  Pennsylvania, 
ser\dng  as  a  military  storekeeper  from  1857  to  1863, 
when  he  was  put  on  the  retired  list.  Mr.  Taliaferro 
visited  his  old  home  at  Fort  Snelling  in  1856  and 
wrote  characteristically:  "We  were  in  St.  Paul  on 
the  twenty-fourth  of  June,  the  'widow's  son'  was 
Irving 's  Rip  Van  Winkle;  after  a  nap  of  fifteen 
years,  we  awoke  in  the  midst  of  fast  times.  We 
truly  felt  bewildered  when  we  found  all  the  haunts 
and  resting-places  of  the  once  noble  sons  of  the  for- 
est, covered  by  cities,  towns,  and  hamlets.  We 
asked  l)ut  few  questions,  being  to  our  mind  received 
as  a  strange  animal;  if  nothing  worse. "^' 


193 


Among  the  others  who  served  before  1858  as  In- 
dian agent  were  Amos  J.  Bruce,  R.  G.  Murpliy,  and 
Nathaniel  McLean,  The  influx  of  whites  had  greatly 
increased  the  difficulties  of  their  position,  and  the 
memory  of  their  former  agent  made  the  Indians  sus- 
picious of  their  new  advisers.  The  Governor  of  the 
Territory  became  the  Supei-intendent  of  Indian  Af- 
fairs, and  his  presence  so  near  the  agency  took  from 
the  agent  much  of  his  power.'"* 

Scott  Campbell,  the  interpreter  at  Fort  Snelling, 


72  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

was  the  intermediary  between  the  Indians  and  their 
lords.  He  was  a  half-breed  whom  Meriwether  Lewis 
had  met  on  his  expedition  up  the  Missouri  River. 
He  took  the  boy  with  him  back  to  St.  Louis;  and 
when  Lewis  died,  Campbell  returned  to  his  Sioux 
relatives  and  finally  drifted  to  the  agency  at  Fort 
Snelling.^^^  Having  a  knowledge  of  four  languages, 
and  possessing  the  confidence  of  all  the  tribes  within 
four  hundred  miles  of  the  post,  he  was  indispensable. 
From  August,  1825,  to  April,  1826,  he  was  engaged 
in  the  fur  trade,  but  was  lured  back  into  service  bv 
a  salary  of  thirty-four  dollars  per  month  and  one 
ration  per  day.  By  1843,  however,  he  had  become 
such  a  drunkard  that  he  had  to  be  dismissed.^^*' 

The  veteran  missionary,  S.  W.  Pond,  in  recalling 
early  days  wrote  that ' '  Scott  Campbell  no  longer  sits 
smoking  his  long  pipe,  and  conversing  in  low  tones 
with  the  listless  loungers  around  the  old  Agency 
House;  but  who  that  resided  in  this  country  thirty 
or  forty  years  ago  can  pass  by  the  old  stone  houses 
near  Fort  Snelling  and  not  think  of  Major  Talia- 
ferro and  of  his  interpreter?"^®'^ 

And  who  can  pass  the  Old  Round  Tower  without 
thinking  of  those  men  who  as  officers  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing ruled  supreme  over  a  vast  region,  and  who  left 
the  fort  for  places  of  greater  trust  and  greater  in- 
fluence ? 


A  SOLDIER'S  WORLD 

Instead  of  a  world  of  citv  streets  and  countrv 
towns,  of  tilled  fields  and  rivers  Lusy  with  connneree, 
the  raw  recruit  at  Old  Fort  Snelling  entered  upon  a 
world  of  stone  barracks  and  Indian  tepees,  of 
tangled  prairies  and  rushing  rivers. '°^  The  landing- 
was  directly  under  the  cliff  which  towered  above  to 
a  height  which  to  many  a  wanderer  in  a  frail  canoe 
seemed  twice  the  one  hundred  and  six  feet  which  the 
scientist's  instruments  ascribed  to  it.^^^  In  later 
years  a  stairway  led  to  the  quarters  of  the  command- 
ing officer,  but  the  wagon  road  which  crept  upwards 
along  the  sandstone  wall  —  * '  nearly  as  white  as  loaf- 
sugar  ' '  ^"^ —  where  the  swallows  flew  in  and  out  from 
their  holes,  gained  the  summit  at  the  rear  of  the  fort. 

Follo^^dng  the  road  through  the  gate,  and  passing 
between  the  buildings  to  the  center  of  the  parade 
ground,  the  recruit  probably  paused  to  look  about 
him.^°^  Visible  in  the  openings  between  the  buildings 
was  the  stone  wall  about  ten  feet  higli  which  sur- 
rounded the  barracks,  quarters,  and  storehouses. 
This  wall  took  the  place  of  the  picket-stockade  whicli 
was  so  prominent  a  feature  in  earlier  and  ruder 
fortifications.  Conforming  to  the  arrangement  of 
the  buiklings  which  it  enclosed,  the  wall  was  dia- 

78 


74  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

mond-shaped,  one  point  being  at  the  edge  of  the  pro- 
montory where  the  valley  of  the  Minnesota  River 
met  that  of  the  Mississippi  River.  A  second  point 
was  on  the  edge  of  the  steep  bluff  which  rose  from 
the  Mississippi.  A  third  point,  at  a  distance  of 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  directly  opposite 
the  second,  was  on  the  summit  of  the  Minnesota 
bluff.  The  fourth  point  was  situated  on  the  level 
ground  of  the  plateau,  at  a  distance  of  about  seven 
hundred  feet  from  the  first  point. 

As  he  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  parade  ground 
and  gazed  beyond  the  pump  and  the  magazine  at  the 
western  or  fourth  point,  the  recruit  saw  rising  to  a 
height  twice  that  of  the  wall,  the  Old  Round  Tower. 
To-day  this  tower  is  a  vine-clad  relic  —  a  vestige 
remaining  from  the  days  of  the  past.  But  to  the 
soldier  of  Old  Fort  Snelling  it  was  a  more  practical 
structure  —  a  place  of  lookout  from  which  he  was 
often  to  scan  the  swells  of  the  prairie  for  approach- 
ing Indians  or  returning  comrades.  At  the  second 
and  third  points  were  blockhouses  —  buildings  of 
stone,  each  giving  a  view  of  the  river  below  it.  At 
the  first  point  there  was  also  a  tower  —  a  wooden 
lookout  platform  at  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice 
from  which  was  visible  the  landscape  surrounding 
the  fort. 

But  the  soldier  was  doubtless  more  interested  in 
the  buildings  in  which  he  was  to  live.  The  barracks 
for  the  men  were  under  the  north  wall  and  consisted 
of  two  buildings  one  story  in  height.  The  larger  of 
these,  which  was  intended  to  accommodate  two  com- 


jmnp 


a  kitci  was  i 

occnpied   bv   c  y;   ar- 

•--M,  ^'-^  .  ms,  a^ 

rhe  same  floo?*.  "■  -•  helo 

'Ccupying  tl 
md  facinsr  thf  ban 
ilar  i; 

-^■<  a  con; 

'}'  four 
and  a  ha'ifeiiyrf?i'K>:  TJTO'qr;«tiio-J7t>  ~/rA.n 

each  sot. 

■  ■•■  '■'■■■■''■ .--  --...--  ■'■•^■'i'- '  ■•■   '. ^ 

n;.^  qiiartermaste; 

iiai  uord- 

quarters  in  Ok 


I  roil  i. 


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PLAN  OF  OLD  PORT*  SNELLTNG 


From'ti 


KV'. 


surv 
the 


I'ey  l)y   Caiiiaiu   Arthur   Williams,  reprodnned  in   the   Colh  ctinu.-i   '- 
itinneff'ta.  Historicar^oeififi.  Vol.  VITI.  opposite   p.   4:'.ii         jj^  ^ 


^S. 


It,. 


11 


^•. 


Q'.  ' 
<•   ' 


A  SOLDIEK'S  WORLD  75 

panies  was  divided  into  sets,  each  set  having  on  the 
main  floor  an  orderly-room  and  three  squad-rooms, 
while  below  in  the  basement  were  a  mess-room  and 
a  kitchen.  The  other  barrack  was  intended  to  be 
occupied  by  one  company  only;  and  the  orderly- 
room,  squad-rooms,  mess-rooms,  and  a  kitchen  were 
on  the  same  floor.  The  cellars  below  were  damp  and 
were  used  only  for  storage  purposes. 

Occupying  the  same  position  under  the  south  wall, 
and  facing  the  barracks,  were  two  other  buildings, 
similar  in  appearance.  In  one  of  these  the  officers' 
quarters  were  located.  It  was  divided  into  twelve 
sets,  each  consisting  of  two  rooms,  the  front  one 
sixteen  by  fourteen  feet,  and  the  back  one,  eight  by 
fifteen  and  a  half  feet.  In  the  basement  were  located 
kitchens  for  each  set.  The  other  building  contained 
the  offices  of  the  commanding  officer,  the  paymaster, 
the  quartermaster,  and  the  commissary.  Here  was  a 
room  used  by  the  post  school,  and  another  filled  with 
harness.  An  ordnance  sergeant  and  five  laundresses 
found  quarters  in  the  same  structure. 

The  quarters  of  the  commanding  officer  with  the 
flag  staff  directly  in  front,  faced  the  parade  ground 
and  the  Old  Round  Tower.  There  were  four  rooms 
on  the  main  floor  and  in  the  basement  were  kitchens 
and  pantries.  Other  buildings  were  also  included 
within  the  fort.  The  storehouse  of  the  commissary 
department  was  located  near  the  southern  block- 
house ;  and  on  either  side  of  the  gate  were  two  build- 
ings, shnnnod  ])y  nil  —  the  guardhouse  and  tlie  hos- 
pital. 


76  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Such  was  the  plan  of  the  fort,  convenient  in  ar- 
rangement and  beautiful  in  appearance ;  but  the  re- 
port of  an  official  inspection  in  1827  complained  that 
"the  main  points  of  defence  against  an  enemy  ap- 
pear to  have  been  in  some  respects  sacrificed  in  the 
effort  to  secure  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the 
troops  in  peace.  These  are  important  considera- 
tions; but  at  an  exposed  frontier  post  the  primary 
object  must  be  security  against  the  attack  of  an 
enemy.  Health  and  comfort  come  next.  The  build- 
ings are  too  large,  too  numerous,  and  extending  over 
a  space  entirely  too  great;  enclosing  a  uselessly 
large  parade,  five  times  greater  than  is  at  all  desir- 
able in  that  climate.  "-°- 

A  traveller  who  at  a  later  day  was  entertained 
within  the  fort  wrote  of  it  facetiously  in  these  words : 
''The  idea  is  further  suggested,  that  the  strong  stone 
wall  was  rather  erected  to  keep  the  garrison  in,  than 
the  enemy  out.  Though  adapted  for  mounting  can- 
non if  needful,  the  walls  were  unprovided  with  those 
weapons;  and  the  only  piece  of  ordnance  that  I  de- 
tected out  of  the  magazine,  was  an  old  churn  thrust 
gallantly  through  one  of  the  embrasures.  We  were 
however  far  from  complaining  of  the  extra  expense 
and  taste  which  the  worthy  officer  w^hose  name  it 
bears  had  expended  on  the  erection  of  Fort  Snelling, 
as  it  is  in  every  way  an  addition  to  the  sublime  land- 
scape in  which  it  is  situated. ' '  ^°^ 

But  an  examination  of  the  contents  of  the  mag- 
azine would  have  revealed  weapons  more  formidable 
than   churns.     Among   the   equipment   reported   in 


A  SOLDIER'S  WORLD  77 

183-i  one  reads  of  two  iron  twelve-pounder  cannon 
of  the  garrison  type ;  three  six-pounder  iron  cannon 
of  the  field  type ;  and  two  five  and  eight-tenths  inch 
iron  howitzers.  There  was  also  equipment  for  these 
pieces  of  artillery  —  carriages,  sponges  and  ram- 
mers, lead  aprons,  dark  lanterns,  gunners'  belts, 
gunners'  haversacks,  and  tarpaulins.  There  were 
stored  ready  for  service,  440  balls  for  the  twelve- 
pounders,  1255  balls  for  the  six-pounders,  546 
pounds  of  mixed  loose  grapeshot,  and  many  other 
sizes  of  strapped  and  canister  shot.  For  the  use  of 
the  infantrv  there  were  7749  musket  flints,  1825 
pounds  of  musket  powder,  1513  pounds  of  rifle  pow- 
der, 31,390  cartridges,  and  2047  blank  cartridges.-"* 

Other  structures  closely  connected  with  the  work 
of  the  fort  were  located  outside  the  wall.  The  build- 
ings of  the  Indian  agency  were  situated  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  west,  on  the  prairie. ^°^  These  consisted  of  a 
council  house,  the  agent's  house,  and  an  armorer's 
shop.  The  original  council  house  was  built  by  the 
troops  in  1823,  but  Agent  Taliaferro  claimed  that 
most  of  the  inside  work  was  done  at  his  own  expense. 
The  building  was  of  logs  and  stone,  eighty-two  feet 
long,  eighteen  feet  wide,  and  presenting  in  the  front 
a  piazza  of  seventy  feet.  Witliin,  there  were  six 
rooms,  lined  with  pine  planking  and  separated  fi-om 
each  other  by  panel  doors. -"''' 

At  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August  14,  1830, 
the  sentinels  at  the  fort  discovered  that  the  council 
liouse  was  on  fire.  But  the  flames  had  gained  so 
much  headwav  that  it  was  impossible  to  save  any  of 


78  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  contents.  The  interpreter  and  his  family  who 
lived  in  this  building  barely  escaped  with  their  lives. 
In  reporting  the  loss  to  the  superintendent,  Major 
Taliaferro  wrote  that  "the  general  impression  here 
is  that  fire  was  put  to  the  house  by  Some  drunken 
Indians  &  circumstances  are  strong  in  justifj'ing 
such  a  conclusion. ' '  -°^  This  surmise  was  right,  for 
on  April  7,  1831,  the  Indians  delivered  at  the  fort 
one  of  their  number  who  they  claimed  w^as  guilty  of 
the  act.-"' 

That  steps  were  taken  to  build  a  new  council  house 
is  evident  from  the  record  in  Taliaferro's  diary 
under  date  of  March  8,  1831,  that  four  men  had  been 
hired  "at  $12  per  Month  to  cut  &  carry  timber  out  of 
the  pine  Swamp  for  the  Agency  Council  House."""" 
But  in  1839  Taliaferro  recommended  that  the  agency 
be  moved  to  a  point  seven  miles  up  the  river ;  and  in 
1841  there  was  a  movement  on  foot  to  buy  Baker's 
stone  trading  house  for  the  same  purpose.-^" 

Near  the  location  of  the  old  council  house  were  two 
other  buildings.  One  of  these  was  the  agent's  house. 
This  was  made  entirely  of  stone,  and  was  one  and  a 
half  stories  high.  It  contained  four  rooms  and  a 
passage  on  the  lower  floor  and  two  rooms  above.-" 
Hastily  built  by  troops  at  an  early  day,  its  comforts 
were  few.  "Since  the  Kainy  Season  Set  in",  com- 
plained the  agent  in  1834,  "both  the  hired  Men  and 
Myself  have  not  had  a  Spot  in  our  houses  that  Could 
be  called  dry.  Not  even  our  beds".^^-  An  armorer's 
shop,  where  blacksmith  work  was  done  for  the  In- 
dians, was  made  of  logs  and  measured  sixteen  by 


A  SOLDIER'S  WORLD  79 

eighteen  feet.  Nearer  the  fort  was  the  home  of 
Franklin  Steele,  the  sutler  of  the  post.-^^ 

At  Camp  Cold  Water,  B.  F.  Baker  had  erected  a 
large  stone  trading  house,  which  in  1841  was  valued 
at  six  thousand  dollars.  While  he  had  no  legal  title 
to  the  land  on  which  this  house  w^as  built,  the  officers 
at  the  post  allowed  him  to  remain.  Later  it  was  sold 
to  Kenneth  McKenzie,  who  in  1853  built  an  addition, 
renovated  the  entire  buildiug,  and  used  it  as  a  hotel. 
In  the  vicinity  of  this  structure  were  several  small 
huts  which  had  been  the  homes  of  some  squatters  on 
the  reservation.  But  after  their  expulsion  these 
huts  rapidly  fell  into  decay."^* 

In  his  duties  and  recreations  the  soldier  was  often 
brought  into  touch  with  other  features  of  the  world 
about  him  —  the  points  of  scenic  interest  and  the 
Indian  villages.  From  the  Avooden  lookout  tower 
near  the  commanding  officer's  quarters  a  glimpse  of 
the  surrounding  land  was  revealed. 

*'Tlie  view  from  the  angle  of  the  wall  at  the  ex- 
treme poiut,  is  highly  romantic",  wrote  one  wdio  saw 
the  wild  scene  before  civilization  had  left  its  traces 
on  the  landscape.  "To  your  left  lies  the  broad  deep 
valley  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the  opposite  lieights 
descending  precipitously  to  the  water's  edge;  and  to 
the  right  and  in  front,  the  St.  Peter's,  a  broad 
stream,  worthy  fi'om  its  size,  length  of  course,  and 
the  number  of  tril)utaries  which  it  receives,  to  be 
called  the  Western  Fork  of  tlie  Great  River  itself. 
It  is  seen  flowing  through  a  comparatively  open  vale, 
with   swelling   hills   and    intermingling   forest   and 


80  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

prairie,  for  many  miles  above  the  point  of  junction. 
As  it  approaches  the  Mississippi,  the  volume  of 
water  divides  into  two  branches ;  that  on  the  right 
pursues  the  general  course  of  the  river  above,  and 
enters  the  Mississippi,  at  an  angle  of  perhaps  fifty 
degrees,  directly  under  the  walls  of  the  fort;  while 
the  other,  keeping  to  the  base  of  the  high  prairie 
lands  which  rise  above  it  to  a  notable  summit  called 
the  Pilot  Knob,  enters  the  Mississippi  lower  down. 
The  triangular  island  thus  formed  between  the  rivers 
lies  immediately  under  the  fort.  Its  level  surface 
is  partially  cultivated,  but  towards  the  lower  extrem- 
ity thickly  covered  with  wood.  Beyond  their  junc- 
tion, the  united  streams  are  seen  gliding  at  the  base 
of  high  cliffs  into  the  narrowing  valley  below.  For- 
ests, and  those  of  the  most  picturesque  character, 
interspersed  with  strips  of  prairie,  clothe  a  great 
portion  of  the  distant  view. 

''A  little  cluster  of  trading  houses  is  situated  on 
the  right  branch  of  the  St.  Peter's,  and  here  and 
there  on  the  shores,  and  on  the  island,  you  saw  the 
dark  conical  tents  of  the  wandering  Sioux.  A  more 
striking  scene  we  had  not  met  with  in  the  United 
States,  and  hardly  any  that  could  vie  with  it  for  pic- 
turesque beauty,  even  at  this  unfavourable  season. 
What  must  it  be  in  spring,  when  the  forests  put  forth 
their  young  leaves,  and  the  prairies  are  clothed  in 
verdure!"  ^^^ 

This  "little  cluster  of  trading  houses"  was  the 
town  of  Mendota.  Here  was  the  stone  house  of 
Henry  H.  Sibley,  and  that  of  J.  B.  Faribault.     Near 


A  SOLDIER'S  WORLD  81 

the  river  was  the  ferry  house  and  tlie  home  of  Mr. 
Finley  the  ferryman.-'**  Upon  the  hillside  lay  the 
little  Catholic  chapel,  surrounded  by  the  graves  in 
the  cemetery.  But  the  center  of  interest  was  in  the 
warehouse  and  store  of  the  American  Fur  Company, 
where  the  skins  of  buffalo,  elk,  deer,  fox,  beaver, 
otter,  muskrat,  mink,  martin,  raccoon,  and  other  an- 
imals were  sorted  and  divided  into  packs  weighing 
about  a  hundred  pounds.  Indians,  Frenchmen,  half- 
breeds,  and  restless  wanderers  from  the  East  were 
always  loitering  about  the  establishment.-'^ 

From  the  fort  a  road  led  along  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  on  the  way  crossing  Minne- 
haha Creek  on  the  bridge  built  in  early  days  by  the 
soldiers.  Here  a  stop  was  made  to  view  the  beauty 
of  the  cascade  then  known  as  Little  Falls  or  Brown's 
Falls.  It  was  the  common  practice  for  travellers  to 
descend  to  the  foot  of  the  falls,  clinging  to  the  shrubs 
along  the  slippery  pathway,  and  then  go  behind  the 
sheet  of  falling  water.''^  Continuing,  at  a  distance 
of  eight  miles  up  the  Mississippi  from  the  fort,  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony  was  reached.  Although  only 
sixteen  feet  high,  the  breadth  of  almost  six  hundred 
yards,  broken  in  the  middle  by  a  rocl^^  island  gave 
to  it  an  impressive  majesty,  and  the  thick  vegetation 
on  the  island  and  banks  returned  a  gloomy  reflection 
from  the  whirling  waters.^'^ 

It  is  no  wonder  that  in  that  wild  and  picturesque 
locality  the  Indians  saw  things  ghostly  and  super- 
natural. ''They  tell  you  that  here  a  young  Dacota 
mother,  goaded  by  jealousy,  —  the  husband  [sic]  of 


82  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

her  children  having  taken  another  wife,  —  unmoored 
her  canoe  above  the  Great  Fall,  and  seating  herself 
and  her  children  in  it,  —  sang  her  death  song,  and 
went  over  the  foaming  acclivity  in  the  face  and  amid 
the  shrieks  of  her  tribe.  And  often,  the  Indian  be- 
lieves, when  the  nights  are  calm,  and  the  sky  se- 
rene,—  and  the  dew-drops  are  hanging  motionless 
on  the  sprays  of  the  weeping  birch  on  the  island, — 
and  the  country  far  and  wide  is  vibrating  to  the  mur- 
mur of  the  cataract,  —  that  then  the  misty  form  of 
the  young  mother  may  be  seen  moving  down  the 
deceitful  current  above,  while  her  song  is  heard 
mingling  its  sad  notes  with  the  lulling  sound  of  'the 
Laughing  Water  f '  "  220 

Here  at  the  Falls,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river, 
were  three  buildings:  a  saw  mill,  a  grist  mill,  and 
a  one-story  frame  dwelling,  where  a  detachment  of 
soldiers  always  remained  to  guard  the  property. 
The  saw  mill  had  provided  much  of  the  lumber  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  fort,  and  in  the  grist  mill 
the  corn  was  cracked  that  was  fed  during  the  winter 
to  the  cattle  —  a  drove  being  delivered  every  fall  for 
the  use  of  the  garrison.  These  buildings  were  still 
standing  in  1858,  although  they  were  then  in  a  bad 
state  of  decay.^^^ 

Among  the  lakes  on  the  prairie  the  most  important 
were  the  Lake  of  the  Isles,  Lake  Calhoun,  and  Lake 
Harriet.  These  w^ere  favorite  picnic  and  hunting 
grounds  for  the  men  and  women  of  the  garrison.  An 
old  map  made  in  1823  shows  "Green's  Villa"  on 
Lake  Calhoun  —  probably  a  hunting  lodge  or  shelter 


A  SOLDIER'S  WORLD  8-^ 

built  by  Lieutenant  Piatt  Rogers  Green."-  Here  on 
Lake  Calhoun  was  located  the  missionary  establish- 
ment which  was  so  closely  connected  with  the  life  of 
the  fort.''^' 

There  were  other  Indian  villages  near  the  fort. 
Nine  miles  below,  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi  was 
the  Sioux  village  of  Kaposia.  Here  Wakinyantanka, 
or  Big  Thunder,  reigned  over  his  band  which  num- 
bered one  hundred  and  eighty-three  in  1834.  Two 
or  three  miles  upstream  from  its  mouth  on  the  banks 
of  the  Minnesota  was  the  group  of  wigwams  called 
Black  Dog's  village,  although  the  chief  was  Wamdi- 
tanka  or  Big  Eagle.  About  nine  miles  from  Fort 
Snelling  was  Pinisha,  reported  as  having  one  hun- 
dred and  fortv-eight  inhabitants  ruled  over  bv  Good 
Road.  The  largest  group,  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  souls,  was  that  of  the  Tintatonwan  band,  lo- 
cated twenty-four  miles  from  Fort  Snelling  and  near 
the  present  town  of  Shakopee.  Shapaydan  oi-  Sliak- 
pay  was  the  chief,  the  father  of  the  warrior  of  the 
same  name  who  was  executed  at  Fort  Snelling  for 
participating  in  the  Sioux  massacre  of  1862."* 

These  villages  were  very  much  the  same  in  appear- 
ance, large  bark  lodges  being  occupied  by  the  Indians 
in  the  summer.  The  villages  swarmed  with  chil- 
dren, squaws,  painted  warriors,  and  yelping  dogs. 
About  the  lodges  were  the  corn  fields,  the  scaffolds 
where  the  corn  was  dried,  and  the  more  mournful 
scaffolds  whore,  wrapped  in  l)uffal()  skins,  reposed 
the  bones  of  the  hunters  who  had  followed  tlie  milky 
way  to  the  "Land  of  the  Ghosts"."^ 


VI 

GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE 

What  sort  of  a  life  did  the  soldier  live  in  the  bar- 
racks and  on  the  parade  ground,  and  in  the  world 
of  prairies,  rivers,  and  woods  that  lay  about  him  I 
No  person  who  was  ever  quartered  w^ithin  the  w^alls 
of  Old  Fort  Snelling-  seems  to  have  left  an  account 
of  what  was  mcluded  in  the  tasks  and  recreations  of 
a  day.  Doubtless  the  routine  duties  repeated  day 
after  day  were  thought  too  ordinary  to  be  worth  re- 
cording. The  pleasures  were  so  simple  and  came 
so  much  as  a  matter  of  course  that  they  also  receive 
scant  mention  in  the  annals  of  the  fort.  It  is  from 
the  General  Regulations  for  the  Army  that  one  gets 
the  daily  program  of  a  military  post;  and  the  few 
fragmentary  pages  of  Taliaferro's  diary  and  letters, 
together  with  the  stray  remarks  of  travellers  and 
pioneers,  indicate  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  a  very 
human  garrison.--^ 

No  sooner  was  dawn  visible  over  the  Mississippi 
bluffs  than  the  musicians  of  the  post  were  summoned 
to  the  parade  ground  and  five  minutes  later  the 
reveille  was  sounded.  At  the  signal  both  officers 
and  men  arose.  Soon  the  rolls  of  the  companies 
were  called  in  front  of  the  quarters;  the  quarters 
were  put  in  order;  the  ground  in  front  swept;  and 

84 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  85 

the  horses  fed  and  watered.  At  eight-thirty  the  sick 
in  the  barracks  were  taken  to  the  hospital,  and  at 
nine  o'clock  breakfast  was  served,  preceded  by  a 
second  roll-call.  Then  the  various  tasks  of  the  day 
were  performed  under  the  direction  of  a  captain  or 
subaltern  dailv  detailed  as  the  ''officer  of  the  dav". 

A  party  termed  the  "General  Fatigue"  swept  the 
entire  parade  ground  —  unless  there  were  enough 
prisoners  in  the  giiard  house  to  perform  this  un- 
pleasant duty.  A  police  guard  furnished  sentinels 
to  watch  over  the  prisoners,  the  colors,  the  quarters 
of  the  commanding  officer,  and  the  arms  of  the  regi- 
ment. Other  soldiers  were  posted  at  the  front  and 
the  rear  of  the  fort.  Certain  detachments  were 
formed  for  reconnoitering  and  foraging  —  the  nature 
of  the  tasks  depending  on  the  season  of  the  year  and 
the  needs  of  the  garrison. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  third  roU-call 
was  followed  bv  dinner;  and  thirtv  minutes  before 
sunset  the  music  called  out  the  regiment  for  dress 
parade,  where  various  maneuvers  were  gone  through 
and  orders  were  read.  After  the  parade,  wlien  the 
i-('ghnent  was  again  in  its  quarters,  the  arms  were 
placed  in  the  arm-racks,  the  liorses  attended  to,  a 
fifth  roll-call  endured,  and  tattoo  sounded.  Then 
the  lights  were  extingiiished  and  all  were  expected 
to  be  quiet  for  the  night. 

This  monotony  of  the  daily  program  was  equalkui 
only  by  the  monotony  of  the  meals.  The  regulation 
diet  prescribed  by  Congi'ess  in  1802  consisted  of  a 
l)0und  and  a  quarter  of  Ix'cf,  or  three-c^uarters  of  a 


86  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

pound  of  pork;  eighteen  ounces  of  bread  or  flour; 
one  gill  of  rum,  whiskey,  or  brandy;  and  for  every 
hundred  rations  were  supplied  two  quarts  of  salt, 
four  quarts  of  vinegar,  four  pounds  of  soap,  and  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  candles.  In  1832  coffee  and 
sugar  were  substituted  for  the  liquor."^ 

During  the  early  years  of  Fort  Snelling  these  sup- 
plies were  brought  from  St.  Louis  in  flatboats.  With 
the  development  of  steamboat  traffic,  the  steamboat 
was  utilized,  but  it  did  not  entirely  displace  the  ear- 
lier method.  Difficulties  often  hindered  the  trans- 
portation of  supplies.  The  summer  of  1829  was  ex- 
tremely dry.  The  average  monthly  rainfall  was  less 
than  an  inch,  and  steamboat  navigation  was  impos- 
sible. Even  keelboats  found  difficulty  in  ascending 
the  river ;  sixty  days  were  spent  by  Lieutenant  Rey- 
nolds in  bringing  up  a  load  of  supplies.  A  sand  bar 
at  Pine  Bend  was  impassable,  so  half  of  the  load  was 
taken  off  and  the  rest  hurried  up  the  river.  AVlien 
the  crew^  arrived  the  garrison  was  upon  its  last 
barrel  of  flour."^ 

''Bread  and  soup",  runs  a  clause  in  the  General 
Regulations  for  the  Army,  "are  the  great  items  of  a 
soldier's  diet,  in  every  situation".""  The  bread  was 
made  from  the  wheat  grown  by  the  soldiers,  and  was 
ground  in  the  mill  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthonv.  For 
some  reason  the  crop  of  1823  had  become  mouldy 
and  the  bread  was  black  and  bitter.  When  forced 
to  eat  it,  the  troops  almost  mutinied,  bringing  it  out 
upon  the  parade  ground  and  throwing  it  down.^"" 
Nor  does  it  seem  likely  that  the  soup  was  more  appe- 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  87 


tiziiig-  when  one  reads  the  following  recipe  which 
guided  the  company  cooks:  ''To  make  soup,  put 
into  the  vessel  at  the  rate  of  five  pints  of  water  to  a 
pound  of  fresh  meat ;  apply  a  quick  heat  to  make  it 
boil  promptly ;  skim  off  the  foam,  and  then  moderate 
the  fire ;  salt  is  then  put  in,  according  to  the  palate. 
Add  the  vegetables  of  the  season  one  or  two  hours, 
and  sliced  bread  some  minutes,  before  the  simmer- 
ing is  ended.  When  the  broth  is  sensibly  reduced  in 
quantity,  that  is,  after  five  or  six  hours  cooking,  the 
process  mil  be  complete. ' '  -^^ 

Fortunately  the  soldier  did  not  have  to  depend 
entirely  on  these  rations.  Out  of  his  modest  cash 
income  of  six  dollars  per  month  he  could  buy  at  the 
sutler's  store  small  necessities  and  some  luxuries. 
The  sutler  was  the  authorized  merchant  of  the  post, 
and  in  order  that  liis  monopoly  might  not  lead  him 
to  demand  unreasona])le  sums  for  his  wares,  the 
prices  were  fixed  by  a  "council  of  administration" 
composed  of  three  officers.  For  every  officer  and 
enlisted  soldier  serving  at  the  post  the  sutler  paid 
into  the  "post  fund",  from  ten  to  fifteen  cents  per 
month.  This  sum  was  to  be  used  for  the  relief  of 
the  widows  or  orplians  of  soldiers,  the  maintenance 
of  a  post  school  and  band,  and  the  purchase  of  books 
for  a  library.^^- 

The  books  of  Franklin  Steele,  who  was  the  sutler 
at  Fort  Snelling  flora  1838  to  1858,  may  still  be  ex- 
amined; and  fi-om  their  dreary  lists  of  accounts,  the 
human  wants  of  a  soldier  at  Old  Fort  Snelling  are 
clcarlv    iiidif-ntod.-''^     On    Mai-cli    12,    184J),    Private 


88  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Brown  bought  a  pound  of  currants  and  a  pound  of 
raisins  for  fifty  cents.  Shoes,  soap,  and  currants 
totalled  $1.50  on  April  7th ;  and  on  March  20th,  two 
pounds  of  butter  sold  for  thirty  cents  and  a  pound  of 
cheese  for  forty-two  cents.  Private  Ryerson  had 
more  varied  needs.  On  March  7th,  1849,  he  pur- 
chased indigo;  on  March  16th,  paper;  on  April  9th, 
alcohol  and  suspenders;  five  days  later,  needles  and 
sugar;  and  on  April  23rd,  apples,  butter,  and  a  tin 
cup.  The  quiet  waters  in  the  neighboring  lakes 
tempted  Eli  Pettijohn  on  a  spring  day  in  1855  to 
invest  $2.50  in  "Fishing  Tackel". 

That  the  officers  did  not  live  upon  the  same  fare  as 
the  soldiers  is  indicated  by  the  entries  under  the  title 
"Officers  Mess".  On  July  31,  1855,  there  was  pur- 
chased ten  cents  worth  of  cloves,  ten  cents  worth  of 
pepper,  and  ninety-five  cents  worth  of  cheese.  Un- 
der the  date  of  August  8th  "Bread  tickets"  were 
purchased  to  the  amount  of  one  dollar;  and  on 
August  30th,  fift}^  cents  worth  of  "Yeast  Powd'r" 
was  charged  to  their  account. 

Saint  and  sinner  both  patronized  this  store.  The 
Reverend  Ezekiel  Gear,  who  was  the  chaplain  at 
the  fort,  evidently  believed  that  cleanliness  was  next 
to  godliness,  for  on  July  31,  1855,  he  paid  thirty 
cents  for  a  scrub  brush;  on  August  4th,  he  bought 
a  broom  for  fifty  cents;  on  August  30th,  he  pur- 
chased twenty-five  cents  worth  of  starch,  and  on 
October  19th,  a  large  broom.  Indulging  in  some 
luxuries,  on  August  2nd,  1855,  he  bought  five  cents 
worth  of  candv.     Probablv  this  was  a  treat  for  those 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  89 

two  bo3^s,  bis  son  and  his  grandson,  whom  a  visitor 
two  years  later  found  sleeping  in  the  little  cemetery 
at  Morgan's  Bluff  near  the  fort,  their  resting  place 
marked  by  a  rude  slab  with  a  Latin  inscription: 
"Lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives,  and  in  death  not 
divided. ' '  ^^* 

None  the  less  clearly  is  the  character  of  Sergeant 
Mahoney  portrayed  in  these  accounts.  On  July  31, 
1855,  it  is  recorded  under  his  name :  "1  Flask  $.75 ' '. 
On  August  20th,  the  same  officer  paid  seventy-five 
cents  for  a  bottle  of  cider.  And  the  chaplain  would 
have  had  an  excellent  illustration  for  his  next  ser- 
mon on  intemperance  if  he  could  have  read,  as  we 
can  to-day,  this  melancholy  note  made  in  the  sutler's 
book  on  October  17th:  "Sergeant  Mahoney,  Cash 
Loaned  20.00". 

There  was  need  for  sermons  on  intemperance. 
During  the  early  years  whiskey  was  issued  as  a  part 
of  the  soldier's  ration,  and  this  only  served  to  stim- 
ulate the  desire  for  more.  The  class  of  men  in  the 
army  was  not  always  of  the  highest,  and  there  were 
enough  civilians  who  were  willing  to  pander  to  their 
appetites.  The  following  extract  from  Taliaferro's 
diary  for  March  22,  1831,  is  undoubtedly  character- 
istic of  many  a  forgotten  episode :  "Nothing  of  im- 
portance transpired  this  day  Two  di'utiken  Soldiers 
in  crossing  the  SPeters  broke  through  the  Ice  &  were 
near  being  drowned.  They  were  exceeding  alarmed 
&  made  a  hedious  Noise  &  yelling  for  Assistance  — 
the  men  from  the  Fort  relieved  them  altliougli  late 
at  niii:ht."     Not  alwavs  was  assistance  on  hand  in 


90  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

such  circumstances.  A  report  was  made  in  March, 
1840,  of  a  certain  officer  who  "disappeared  on  the 
evening  of  the  5th  of  March,  supposed  to  have  been 
drowned  by  falling  through  the  ice. ' '  -"" 

Drunkenness  and  absence  from  roll-call  were 
among  the  infractions  of  rules  for  which  punishment 
was  most  often  inflicted.  The  character  and  sever- 
ity of  the  punishment  depended  upon  the  mood  of 
the  commanding  officer.  Colonel  Snelling,  who  was 
usually  a  very  gentle  man,  was  particularly  severe 
in  his  treatment  of  offenders.  ' '  He  would  take  them 
to  his  room",  wrote  one  who  spent  several  years  in 
the  Snelling  household,  "and  compel  them  to  strip, 
when  he  would  flog  them  unmercifully.  I  have  heard 
them  beg  him  to  spare  them,  'for  God's  sake.'  "-^'^ 
This  punishment  by  flogging  was  often  performed 
with  a  "cat"  —  an  instrument  made  of  nine  thongs 
about  eighteen  inches  long,  knotted  in  every  inch, 
and  attached  to  a  small  stick.  When  the  culprit  was 
stripped  to  the  waist  and  tied  to  the  flagstaff,  the 
drummers  took  turns  in  applying  the  "cat"  to  the 
bare  back.-^' 

Other  officers  used  less  painful  methods.  Thus, 
Major  Loomis  was  Imown  as  "Old  Eing",  since  his 
favorite  punishment  was  to  place  a  log  of  wood  upon 
the  prisoner's  shoulder  and  compel  him  to  walk 
around  and  around  in  a  circle  under  the  vigilant  eye 
of  a  sentinel.  To  Major  John  Bliss,  who  was  in 
command  at  Fort  Snelling  from  1833  to  1836,  the 
name  "Black  Starvation"  might  Avell  have  been  ap- 
plied.    The  negro  servant,  Hannibal,  who  clandes- 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  91 

tinely  sold  spruce  beer  to  the  soldiers  was  confined 
in  the  Black  Hole  for  forty-eight  hours ;  and  Private 
Kelly,  who  refused  to  do  his  part  in  the  fatigue 
party  spent  more  than  seventy-two  hours  in  the 
Black  Hole  before  the  pangs  of  starvation  persuaded 
him  to  promise  Major  Bliss  to  be  good  in  the 
future. "^'^  On  one  occasion,  which  may  be  taken  as 
typical  of  usual  conditions,  out  of  a  total  garrison 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine,  twenty-six  were 
confined  in  prison.  But  at  another  time  the  com- 
manding officer  could  report:  ''No  Convicts  at  this 
Post".-^' 

The  severity  of  the  military  rules  and  the  monot- 
ony of  the  life  led  to  two  undesirable  consequences  — 
mutinies  and  desertions.  Of  the  former  there  is 
apparently  no  description,  and  the  brief  entry  in 
Taliaferro's  diary  for  February  3, 1831,  leaves  much 
to  the  imagination :  "Mutiny  of  Most  of  the  Troops 
of  the  1st  Infantry,  Stationed  at  Fort  Snelling  this 
Morning".^"  What  grievances  led  to  the  upiising 
on  that  wintry  day,  and  by  what  diplomacy  or  by 
what  punishments  it  was  put  down,  are  unrecorded. 

Concerning  the  extent  of  desertions  there  is  spe- 
cific information  regarding  three  years.  Desertion 
was  prevalent  in  the  ai"my  at  this  time,  and  in  order 
to  provide  methods  of  combating  it  the  Secretary  of 
War  presented  to  Congress  a  great  deal  of  informa- 
tion covering  the  years  from  1823  to  1825.""  Dui-ing 
these  three  years  there  wei-e  stationed  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing an  aggregate  of  two  huiidicd  and  fift>-()ne  sol- 
dici-s  in  1823;  three  hundred  and  tliii-ty-liv<'  in  IS24; 


92  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

and  two  hundred  and  forty-six  in  1825.^*'  Of  these, 
six  deserted  in  1823,  eight  in  1824,  and  twenty-nine 
in  1825.  In  this  total  of  forty-three  desertions,  fif- 
teen left  in  their  first  year  of  service,  seventeen  in 
the  second,  eighteen  in  the  third,  one  in  the  fourth, 
and  two  in  the  fifth.  Interesting  facts  regarding  the 
kind  of  men  who  lived  at  the  old  frontier  post  can  be 
gleaned  from  the  data  presented.  Most  of  them 
were  between  the  ages  of  twenty-one  and  thirty.  In 
occupation  there  were  laborers,  farmers,  painters, 
shoemakers,  papermakers,  wheelwrights,  jewellers, 
and  brewers.  Among  these  forty-three,  twenty-six 
were  born  in  the  United  States,  five  in  Ireland,  two 
in  Scotland,  one  in  France,  one  in  Holland,  and  one 
in  Canada. 

The  soldier  who  sought  freedom  by  stealthily 
climbing  over  the  stone  wall  of  Fort  Snelling  and 
appropriating  some  canoe  drawn  up  on  the  river 
bank,  left  monotony  and  discipline  behind  him;  but 
in  doing  so  he  faced  many  dangers.  There  was  no 
settlement  nearer  than  Prairie  du  Chien  —  a  mili- 
tary establishment.  Indians  were  not  afraid  to  in- 
jure those  whom  they  knew  to  be  deserters.  A  cer- 
tain man  by  the  name  of  Dixon  who  deserted  was 
captured  by  Indians  who  brought  him  back  to  Fort 
Snelling  and  received  a  reward  of  twenty  dollars. 
Dixon  was  court-martialed  and  sentenced  to  receive 
fifty  lashes  from  the  ''cat"  and  then  to  be  drummed 
out  of  the  Fort.^^^  Four  soldiers  who  escaped  were 
killed  by  the  Indians  of  Red  Wing's  band,  and  their 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  93 

bodies  were  left  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Pepin,  where 
they  were  later  found  half-eaten  by  the  birds. ^" 

Sickness  and  death  reduced  the  number  on  duty 
at  the  post.  From  the  doctor  the  sick  received  pro- 
fessional aid.  In  1826  when  the  force  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing  amounted  to  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  men 
there  were  in  the  hospital  one  subaltern,  one  non- 
commissioned officer,  one  musician,  and  fifteen  pri- 
vates. That  Fort  Snelling  was  at  a  healthful  loca- 
tion is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  during  the  same 
period  at  Fort  Atkinson,  with  a  force  of  only  one 
hundred  more,  there  was  a  total  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  sick  persons. ^*^ 

The  number  of  deaths  was  proportionately  small. 
In  the  year  ending  on  September  30,  1823,  there  was 
only  one  death ;  the  next  year  the  toll  was  the  same ; 
and  in  1825  it  amounted  to  five.^*"  On  the  occasion 
of  a  funeral  six  men,  detailed  from  those  of  the  same 
rank  as  the  deceased,  carried  the  coffin  to  the  little 
cemetery  outside  the  fort.  A  salute  was  fired  over 
the  grave  and  the  band  played  solemn  music,  the 
drums  being  covered  with  black  crepe.  The  mounds 
in  the  cemeterj^,  unmarked  by  any  stones,  were  soon 
obliterated;  but  if  the  departed  soldier  had  been  a 
clieoT-ful  comy)anion  his  barrack-songs  wore  missed 
by  his  comrades,  and  many  friends,  half-way  across 
a  continent,  would  mourn  for  one  who  was  lying  in 
an  unknown  grave,  ''somewhere  in  the  West".-*'^ 

On  account  of  monotonous  drills  and  tedious  rou- 
tine, any  pi-etoxt  to  go  into  the  Tiidiaii  ('oniili-x-  was 


94  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

hailed  with  delight.  The  bustle,  excitement,  and 
troubles  connected  with  the  departure  of  these  ex- 
peditions are  best  described  by  Mrs.  Seth  Eastman, 
who  as  the  wife  of  the  commanding  officer  had  often 
waved  farewell  to  the  departing  company.-''^ 

"Now  for  excitement,  the  charm  of  garrison  life. 
Officers  are  of  course  always  ready  to  'go  where 
glory  waits'  them,  but  who  ever  heard  of  one  being 
ready  to  go  when  the  order  came? 

"Alas!  for  the  young  officer  who  has  a  wife  to 
leave;  it  will  be  weeks  before  he  meets  again  her 
gentle  smile ! 

' '  Still  more  —  alas  for  him  who  has  no  wife  at  all ! 
for  he  has  not  a  shirt  with  buttons  on  it,  and  most 
of  what  he  has  are  in  the  wash.  He  will  have  to 
borrow  of  Selden;  but  here's  the  difficulty,  Selden  is 
going  too,  and  is  worse  off  than  himself.  But  no 
matter !  What  with  pins  and  twine  and  trusting  to 
chance,  they  will  get  along. 

"Then  the  married  men  are  inquiring  for  tin  re- 
flectors, for  hard  ])read,  though  healthy,  is  never 
tempting.  India  rubber  cloaks  are  in  requisition 
too. 

"Those  who  are  going,  claim  the  doctor  in  case  of 
accidents.  Those  who  stay,  their  wives  at  least, 
want  him  for  fear  of  measles ;  while  the  disciple  of 
Esculapius,  though  he  knows  there  will  be  better 
cooking  if  he  remain  at  home,  is  certain  there  will  be 
food  for  fun  if  he  go.  It  is  soon  decided  —  the  doc- 
tor goes. 

"Then  the  privates  share  in  the  pleasure  of  the 


GLIMPSES  OP  GARRISON  LIFE  95 

day.  How  should  a  soldier  be  employed  but  in 
active  service?  besides,  what  a  capital  chance  to 
desert!  One,  who  is  tired  of  calling  'All's  well' 
through  the  long  night,  with  only  the  rocks  and  trees 
to  hear  him,  hopes  that  it  will  be  his  happy  fate  to 
find  out  there  is  danger  near,  and  to  give  the  alarm. 
Another  vows,  that  if  trouble  wont  come,  why  he  will 
bring  it  by  quarrelling  with  the  first  rascally  Indian 
he  meets.  All  is  ready.  Rations  are  put  up  for  the 
men;  —  hams,  buffalo  tongues,  pies  and  cake  for  the 
officers.  The  batallion  marches  out  to  the  sound  of 
the  drum  and  fife;  —  they  are  soon  down  the  hill  — 
they  enter  their  boats;  handkerchiefs  are  waved 
from  the  fort,  caps  are  raised  and  flourished  over 
the  water  —  they  are  almost  out  of  sight  —  they  are 
gone, ' ' 

Apart  from  these  trips  abroad  and  the  stated 
drills  and  terms  of  gaiard  duty  the  tasks  which  occu- 
pied the  time  of  the  soldiers  depended  upon  the  sea- 
son of  the  year.  A  general  order  of  September  11, 
1818,  had  commanded  the  making  of  gardens  at  all 
the  military  posts,-""  In  the  fall  of  1819  when  the 
temporary  cabins  at  New  Hope  Cantonment  had 
been  built,  the  soldiers  began  ploughing  for  the  crop 
of  the  next  summer,-^"  Major  Long,  in  1823,  found 
two  hundred  and  ten  acres  under  cultivation  —  one 
hundred  of  wheat,  sixty  of  maize,  fifteen  of  oats, 
fourteen  of  potatoes,  and  twenty  acres  in  gardens,-^' 
All  thi-ough  the  history  of  Old  Fort  Snelling  the 
soldiers  were  employed  as  farmers.  A  visitor  in 
1852  observed  that  ''its  garrison  is  rather  deficient 


96  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

in  active  employment,  and  we  noticed  a  number  of 
the  rank  and  file  taking  exercise  in  a  large  corn  and 
vegetable  field  attached  to  the  Fort.  It  was  cer- 
tainly not  exactly  soldierly  employment,  but  it  was 
more  manly,  to  our  mind,  than  shooting  and  stabbing 
at  $8  a  month,  and  no  question  asked. ' '  "^ 

For  the  horses  and  cattle  kept  at  the  fort  a  great 
deal  of  hay  was  necessary  for  the  winter  months. 
This  was  obtained  from  the  broad  prairies  of  the 
military  reservation.  A  group  of  men  called  the 
' '  Hay  Party ' '  were  employed  during  the  summer  in 
cutting  and  stacking  the  long  grass.  But  one  officer 
was  of  the  opinion  that  this  task  caused  discontent  — 
the  enlisted  man  was  no  more  than  a  common  laborer 
and  hence  he  lost  the  pride  of  a  soldier. 

The  diverse  tasks  at  which  a  soldier  might  be 
called  to  labor  are  indicated  by  a  summary  of  the 
employment  of  the  troops  in  1827.  Seven  soldiers 
were  acting  as  teamsters,  five  were  performing  car- 
penters' duties,  two  were  quarrying  stone,  two  men 
and  a  sergeant  composed  the  party  guarding  the 
mills  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  eight  others 
were  "Procuring  forage  by  order  of  Col.  Snell- 
mg  '.-^ 

Summer  brought  its  own  pleasures  as  well  as 
duties.  At  Lake  Calhoun,  Lake  Harriet,  Lake  of  the 
Isles,  and  Minnehaha  Falls,  many  were  the  picnics 
held  when  visitors  came  to  the  garrison.-'*  Swan, 
geese,  and  ducks  were  numerous  about  the  lakes  and 
swamps,  and  with  the  famous  hunter  H.  H.  Sibley 
as  a  guide,  the  game  bags  were  soon  filled.     During 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  97 

a  period  of  three  years,  Mr.  Sibley,  alone,  shot  1798 
ducks  —  a  fact  which  indicates  what  success  a  sol- 
dier-sportsman could  have  in  his  few  hours  of  recre- 
ation.^^' 

But  it  was  when  the  prairies  were  impassable  be- 
cause of  drifts  of  snow  from  six  to  fifteen  feet 
high,-"'^  and  when  the  course  of  the  river  could  be 
traced  onlv  bv  a  streak  of  white  between  the  i?rav 
of  its  wooded  banks  that  there  appeared  those  feat- 
ures which  are  peculiar  to  the  life  of  a  remote  gar- 
rison. The  isolation  was  almost  complete.  There 
was  no  traffic  upon  the  frozen  river,  and  the  traders 
were  wintering  in  the  Indian  villages.  Only  through 
the  mail  was  communication  with  the  outside  w^orld 
possible.  It  was  planned  to  have  a  monthly  mail 
service,  soldiers  being  sent  to  Prairie  du  Chien  with 
the  letters.  Here  they  delivered  about  two-thirds  of 
the  mail  to  the  persons  to  whom  it  was  addressed 
and  the  rest  was  deposited  in  the  post  office.-''' 

In  summer  the  mail  was  carried  by  the  soldiers  in 
canoes,  but  in  winter  the  journey  had  to  be  made  on 
foot.  In  summer  the  labor  was  lightened  when  a 
passing  steamer  overtook  the  rowing  soldiers  and 
picked  up  the  canoe  with  its  crew.  In  winter  no 
such  aid  was  possible.  A  hard  day's  tramp  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  night  among  the  drifts,  unless  the  tepee 
of  some  friendly  Indian  gave  a  temporary  respite 
for  a  few  hours. ^^^ 

Nor  was  this  task  free  from  perils.  A  system  was 
arranged  whereby  a  courier  from  Fort  Snelling  and 
one  from  Prairie  du  Chien  set  out  at  about  the  same 


98  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

time,  meeting  at  Wabasha's  village  where  the  packs 
were  exchanged  and  each  returned  to  his  own  post. 
On  one  occasion  a  spring  thaw  overtook  the  carrier 
from  Prairie  du  Chien,  who  had  proceeded  beyond 
the  meeting  place  because  the  messenger  from  the 
north  Avas  late.  Suddenly  the  ice  groaned  and 
cracked,  and  the  postman  with  difficulty  found  safety 
on  a  small  island  where,  to  his  great  surprise,  he 
found  the  postman  from  Fort  Snelling  who  had  been 
caught  in  the  same  manner.  Their  provisions  soon 
gave  out;  for  a  while  they  had  only  rose-apples  to 
eat.  It  was  not  until  almost  two  weeks  later  that 
the  two  half-starved  messengers  were  picked  up  by 
the  canoes  of  some  friendly  Sioux.^^^ 

Such  accidents  rendered  the  mail  service  uncer- 
tain, and  it  was  with  impatience  that  the  watchers 
at  the  fort  looked  down  the  river  for  the  coming  of 
the  news-carriers.  On  April  2,  1831,  Taliaferro 
wrote :  '  *  The  Express  departed — 4  men  in  a  Skiff — 
to  convey  the  Mail  to  the  Post  Office  at  Prairie  du 
Chiens  — our  return  Express  daily  expected,"  But 
they  hoped  too  early  and  on  April  5th  it  was  record- 
ed that  "Our  Express  —  1st  which  left  for  Prairie 
du  Chiens  on  the  2d  of  March  —  has  now  been  Ab- 
sent more  than  a  Month  &  progressing  in  the  Sec- 
cond.  We  have  not  had  inteligence  from  Washing- 
ton City  —  since  the  6th  of  December  last".  Not 
until  April  10th  did  the  mail  arrive.  But  even  Avhen 
the  messengers  were  safe  in  the  fort  it  was  not  cer- 
tain that  they  brought  what  was  so  eagerly  looked 
for,  as  the  entry  on  February  27th  clearly  shows: 


GLBIPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  99 

"Lieut  Williams  &  Mr  Bailly  returned  this  eveng 
from  Prairie  du  Chiens  but  brought  no  Mail  there 
having  been  no  arrival  since  December. ' '  -'''^  It  was 
during  this  winter  that  even  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
shut  off  from  the  outside,  the  amount  of  snow  be- 
tween Peoria  and  Prairie  du  Chien  stopping  the  mail 
service  for  two  months.  Again  and  again  during 
the  winter  months  the  commanding  officer  com- 
plained to  headquarters  that  "no  Orders  have  been 
received  within  the  Month  ".^"^ 

The  duties  of  the  soldiers  during  the  winter  were 
few.  From  the  time  it  was  built  up  to  1833  the 
quarters  at  Fort  Snelling  were  heated  by  fireplaces. 
At  that  time,  however,  stoves  w^ere  substituted.^''- 
Wood  was  used  for  fuel  —  to  obtain  which  was  a 
never-ending  task  in  winter.  When  Captain  Seth 
Eastman  was  in  command  at  various  periods  from 
1844  to  1848  the  garrison  had  to  go  from  eight  to 
ten  miles  for  wood.  The  banks  of  the  Minnesota 
River  were  bordered  by  a  forest  varying  from  one 
hundred  to  three  hundred  vards  wide;  but  bv  1858 
all  of  this  for  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  had  been 
cleared  off.-"^ 

Colonel  John  H.  Bliss,  who  was  a  bov  at  Fort 
Snelling  when  his  father  was  in  command  during  the 
thirties,  wrote  that  the  winters  "wei'e  undeniably 
tedious,  but  had  their  uses;  we  had  a  good  lil)rary, 
and  I  read  a  great  deal,  which  has  stood  by  me  well ; 
then  there  was  of  course  much  sociability  among  the 
officers,  and  a  great  deal  of  playing  of  cards,  dom- 
inoes, checkers,  and  cliess.     The  soldiers,  too,  would 


100  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

get  up  theatrical  performances  every  fortnight  or  so, 
those  taking  female  parts  borrowing  dresses  from 
the  soldiers'  wives,  and  making  a  generous  sacri- 
fice to  art  of  their  cherished  whiskers  and  mus- 
taches. ' '  -" 

During  October,  1836,  Inspector  General  George 
Croghan  visited  Fort  Snelling,  and  on  the  evening 
of  the  seventh  of  the  month  the  Thespian  Players 
presented  Monsieur  Tonson  in  his  honor.  And  here, 
far  from  city  streets  and  French  barbers,  on  a  rude 
stage.  Jack  Ardourly  fell  in  love  with  the  beautiful 
Adolphine  de  Courcy — who  probably  only  a  few 
hours  before  had  been  hurrying  to  finish  a  task  of 
cleaning  guns  so  that  she  could  call  on  the  generous 
women  of  the  garrison  and  beg  from  them  capes  and 
bonnets  and  hoops  skirts !  ^'^^ 

Many  of  the  officers  were  graduates  of  West  Point, 
and  their  wives  were  from  the  best  families  of  the 
East  and  South.  On  January  20,  1831,  the  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  the  garrison  had  a  party  at  the 
fort.  "The  room  was  tastefully  decorated  —  and 
the  evening  passed  pleasantly ' '.  On  February  22nd 
of  the  same  year  the  quarters  of  the  commanding- 
officer  were  the  scene  of  another  party  in  commemo- 
ration of  Washington's  birthday.  ^^'^ 

Efforts  were  made  to  provide  for  the  education  of 
the  children  of  the  fort.  Mrs.  Snelling  at  first  taught 
her  own  children;  but  it  is  evident  that  there  was 
soon  a  tutor,  as  the  correspondence  of  Colonel  Snell- 
ing shows  that  John  Marsh  received  his  board  and 
seventy-five  dollars  for  acting  as  tutor  during  the 


GLIMPSES  OF  GARRISON  LIFE  101 

winter  of  1823-1824.  This  schoolmaster  also  carried 
the  mail  to  Prairie  du  Chien  in  return  for  forty  dol- 
lars. -^''  Soon  after  the  appointment  of  a  regular 
chaplain  in  1838  the  post  school  was  more  thoroughly 
organized.-"-^ 

Occasionally  there  was  some  excitement  at  the 
fort.  During  the  month  of  February  in  1831  there 
was  an  epidemic  of  fires.  First,  the  officers  row  of 
buildings  caught  on  fire  in  the  room  of  Lieutenant 
Greenough  on  February  10th.  On  the  next  day  a 
second  fire  broke  out;  and  on  February  24th  the 
agency  house  took  fire  both  from  the  inside  and  the 
outside  in  such  a  manner  that  it  was  evident  that  an 
incendiary  had  been  at  work.-''" 

But  such  events  were  of  unusual  occurrence.  A 
letter  written  at  Fort  Snelling  on  February  11,  1842, 
pictures  the  usual  winter  life.  '*We  of  the  garrison 
are  as  usual  at  this  season  rather  dull,  stale  &  un- 
profitable—  small  parties  for  Tea  are  a  good  deal 
the  fashion,  &  tattle  is  used  as  formerly.  Indian  Ball 
plays  are  coming  in  season.  One  comes  off  today  in 
which  stacks  of  property  are  to  be  invested.  The 
Sioux  have  been  hunting  about  Rum  River  this  win- 
ter and  have  killed  great  numbers  of  Deai'  —  Our 
winter  has  been  mild,  one  day  only  30  below  zero, 
and  the  rest  comfortable.  .  .  Tonight  Mumford 
gives  a  Soiree  to  the  good  folks  of  the  garrison  ;iiid 
this  is  the  most  exciting  event  of  the  week.  What  is 
the  use  of  writing  to  you  as  I  cannot  find  enough 
wherewith  to  fill  two  pages.  "-^° 

Such  close   confinement   was   tolerable   when    tlic 


102  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

garrison  was  composed  of  congenial  spirits,  but  oc- 
casionally it  brought  about  dissensions  and  quarrels. 
Taliaferro  on  one  occasion  wrote  that  the  "Society 
here  is  not  in  the  most  pleasant  State  from  a  System 
of  tatling  which  has  been  reduced  to  a  Science  —  not 
to  be  envied.  "^'^^  Occasionally  open  encounters 
took  place.  One  soldier  stabbed  another  with  a 
butcher 's  knife,  and  the  victim  died.^^^  In  February, 
1826,  two  officers  of  the  garrison  engaged  in  a  duel.^^^ 
Even  those  in  authority  were  not  free  from  partici- 
pation in  these  ' '  affairs  of  honor ' '.  A  certain  young 
officer  challenged  Colonel  Snelling,  and  upon  his  re- 
fusing, his  son,  William  Joseph  Snelling,  accepted 
and  was  slightly  wounded.  When  the  officer  was 
court-martialed  he  accused  one  of  the  witnesses  of 
being  an  infidel.  Whereupon  the  latter  challenged 
the  officer  in  his  turn,  and  a  second  duel  was  fought  — 
which  was  bloodless.-'* 

With  such  conditions  prevailing  dui'ing  the  win- 
ter months  it  is  no  wonder  that  from  day  to  day 
spring  was  eagerly  looked  for.  Undoubtedly  it  was 
a  happy  occasion  when  the  agent  could  record  on  the 
evening  of  Sunday,  March  27,  1831,  that  the  weather 
was  "more  pleasant  —  Wild  geese  seen  this  day  — 
gentlemen  generally  [illegible]  out  and  Walking — 
The  Ladies  also".^''  It  meant  a  speedy  return  of 
summer  pleasures  and  summer  visitors.  For  when, 
even  at  a  remote  military  post  did  these  fail  as  three 
sure  signs  of  spring  —  pleasant  weather,  flocks  of 
geese,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  out  walking  together? 

They  were  very  human,  these  men  and  women  of 
Old  Fort  Snelling. 


VII 
THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE 

It  was  a  humane  but  visionary  plan  which  Rever- 
end Jedidiah  Morse  in  1822  presented  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  as  the  correct  method  of  procedure  in 
the  task  of  civilizing  the  Indians.  At  various  cen- 
ters in  the  Indian  country  were  to  be  established 
'^ Education  Families"  —  groups  of  honest,  indus- 
trious whites  who  were  to  have  houses  and  farms, 
where  the  natives  could  observe  their  activities.  And 
without  any  forcing  it  was  expected  that  the  red  men, 
seeing  the  superior  advantages  of  civilization,  would 
be  themselves  gradually  transformed.-^'^ 

To  the  north  and  east  of  Fort  Snelling  was  the 
home  of  the  Chippewa  or  Ojibway  Indians  —  ex- 
tending from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Great  Lakes.  To 
the  west,  on  the  great  prairies,  the  Dakota  or  Sioux 
Indians  lived  and  hunted.  The  veteran  missionary, 
S.  W.  Pond,  estimated  that  the  five  bands  of  Sioux, 
which  most  often  came  into  direct  touch  with  the  gov- 
ernment at  Fort  Snelling,  numbered  in  1834,  seven 
thousand,  and  wandered  over  southern  Minnesota 
and  South  Dakota,  near  the  lakes  of  Big  Stone  and 
Traverse."^  Major  Taliaferro  reported  in  1834  that 
the  number  of  Indians  in  his  agency  was  6721,  and 
that  they  extended  as  far  as  the  Sheyenne  fork  of  the 
K(m1  River.-'^    To  one  man,  the  agent,  was  given  the 

103 


104  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 


task  of  civilizing  these  thousands  of  Sioux.  Wliile 
it  was  for  this  tribe  that  the  agency  at  Fort  Snelling 
was  established,  yet  the  Chippewas  often  frequented 
its  headquarters.  One  hundred  and  seventy  war- 
riors of  these  northern  Indians  arrived  at  the 
agent's  house  on  the  evening  of  August  4,  1830.-''- 
The  presence  of  these  red  men  more  than  doubled 
the  work  of  the  agent,  because  there  was  now  the 
difficulty  of  keeping  peace  between  two  warring 
tribes. 

Indian  life  was  not  so  worthless  as  sometimes  pic- 
tured. It  is  true  that  one  could  see  laziness  and 
poverty  during  the  months  of  January  and  Febru- 
ary, if  he  came  upon  an  Indian  village  pitched  near 
a  wooded  slope  and  above  a  frozen  stream.  There 
could  be  seen  the  smoke  curling  from  the  dingy 
tepee,  the  women  dragging  home  wood  for  the  ever- 
diminishing  pile  outside  the  door,  and  a  few  of  the 
hardier  men  fishing  through  holes  in  the  ice.  About 
the  tepee  the  snow  was  banked,  and  within  the  air 
was  warm  and  heavy  from  the  open  fire  and  the  long- 
pipes  of  the  reclining  braves,  who  gambled  with  their 
neighbors  at  the  game  of  *'the  shot  and  the  mitten". 

Thus  through  the  two  stormy  months  the  Indians 
frittered  away  the  time,  eating  their  corn  and  wild 
rice  seasoned  with  tallow.  But  when  the  first  thaws 
of  spring  caused  the  sap  in  the  maple  trees  to  run, 
and  when  some  of  the  more  venturesome  came  back 
from  a  winter  visit  to  the  trading  house  with  the 
word  that  the  trader  was  waiting  for  skins  in  return 
for  the  blankets  and  ammunition  he  had  given  them 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  105 

the  preceding  fall,  the  village  divided  —  part  going 
to  the  sugar  bush,  and  part  going  to  the  prairie  lakes 
and  swamps  for  muskrats.  In  May  they  returned 
on  the  swollen  streams  with  heavily  freighted  canoes 
to  their  villages  of  bark  houses.  During  the  summer 
there  were  many  tasks  —  blue  berries  to  be  gathered 
in  the  woods,  canoes  to  be  built,  tepees  to  be  re- 
paired, turnips  to  be  dug,  and  pipestone  to  be 
brought  from  the  far  distant  quarry.  All  through 
the  hot  months  the  women  toiled  in  the  corn  fields; 
and  when  the  corn  was  in  the  milk,  all  the  village 
children  screamed  and  waved  their  arms  to  f  i-ighten 
away  the  blackbirds.  When  the  harvest  had  been 
carefully  placed  in  bark  barrels  and  buried,  part  of 
the  village  had  already  left  to  hunt  the  fox  or  gatlier 
wild  rice  along  the  lakes  and  cranberries  in  the 
marshes. 

And  now  came  October  and  the  deer  hunt.  There 
were  only  the  extremely  old  people  and  the  invalids 
to  wave  good-bye  as  the  procession  set  out  ovei-  the 
prairie  —  old  men  who  could  scarcely  walk,  bands  of 
shouting  children,  hunters  already  on  the  alert,  wo- 
men with  their  bundles,  and  horses  and  dogs  drag- 
ging on  two  poles  the  provisions  and  the  skins  of  the 
tepees.  For  more  than  two  months  the  program 
was  the  same:  tlio  march  through  the  di-'if'ts  and 
across  the  icy  rivers,  the  morning  council  al)(>ul  a 
blazing  fire  before  scattering  over  the  prairie,  and 
the  triumphal  return  of  the  successful  liuntor  at 
evening  with  the  carcass  of  a  l)ear,  (h'er,  oi-  elk, 
across  his  shoulders  and  his  name  shouted  Ih rough 


106  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  camp  by  the  children  gathered  to  welcome  him. 
By  January  they  were  all  back  again  at  their  vil- 
lages.-^° 

It  was  this  scheme  of  life  which  was  to  be  gradu- 
ally transformed.  There  were,  of  course,  variations 
when  war  parties  crept  against  the  Chippewas,  when 
drunken  debaucheries  resulted  from  a  keg  of  whiskey 
that  had  escaped  the  vigilant  eyes  of  the  soldiers, 
and  when  migrations  to  the  Canadian  posts  were 
prompted  by  the  hope  that  there  they  could  obtain 
enough  supplies  to  support  them  without  work  and 
that  there  they  could  enjoy  some  ceremony  to  break 
the  monotony  of  life.  But  these  migrations  were 
few  on  the  part  of  the  Sioux:  they  could  enjoy  coun- 
cils just  as  good  near  home. 

On  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to  Old  Fort  Snelling  and 
the  agency  near  by,  the  authorities  were  careful  to 
see  that  there  was  a  due  amount  of  ceremonv.  Prob- 
ably  a  whole  band  of  Indians  would  come  down  from 
the  headwaters  of  the  Minnesota  River.  Their 
chiefs  and  braves  gathered  in  the  log  Council  Hall, 
and  there  took  place  the  scene  so  picturesquely  des- 
cribed by  the  eccentric  traveller,  J.  C.  Beltrami. 

"The  council-hall  is,  as  it  ought  to  be,  a  great 
room  built  of  trunks  of  trees.  The  flag  of  the  United 
States  waves  in  the  centre,  surrounded  by  English 
colours,  and  medals  hung  to  the  walls.  They  are 
presented  by  the  Indians  to  their  Father,  the  agent, 
as  a  proof  that  they  abjure  all  cabal  or  alliance  with 
the  English.  Pipes,  or  calumets  and  other  little  In- 
dian presents,  offered  by  the  various  tribes  as  pled- 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  107 

ges  of  their  friendship,  decorate  the  walls  and  give 
a  remarkable  and  characteristic  air  to  the  room." 
The  dignitaries  of  the  post  are  seated  about  a  table 
and  the  braves  recline  upon  the  ground  during  the 
council. 

"The  seance  opens  with  a  speech  of  the  chief,  who 
rises  and  addresses  the  agent.  He  generally  begins 
with  the  Grreat  Spirit,  or  the  sun,  or  the  moon  'whose 
purity  is  equalled  by  that  of  his  own  heart,'  &c.  &c. 
always  finishing  with  a  petition  for  presents;  — 
ivhiskey  is  sure  to  find  honourable  mention :  these  are 
what  English  lawyers  call  the  common  counts.'' ^^^^ 

After  the  reply  of  the  agent  the  peace  pipe  was 
solemnly  passed  from  one  to  another,  and  the  coun- 
cil ended  with  the  distribution  of  presents.  These 
presents  were  of  tobacco,  gunpowder,  vermilion, 
pipes,  kettles,  blankets,  snuff-boxes,  armbands,  look- 
ing-glasses, horse  bells,  jews '-harps,  ivory  combs, 
and  shawls. ^^^  Not  the  least  popular  of  these  were 
the  jews '-harps,  which  had  their  uses  —  in  spite  of 
the  sarcastic  invective  delivered  against  them  by 
Senator  Benton  in  1822  when  the  abolition  of  the 
Factory  System  was  being  considered.  "They  were 
innocent",  observed  the  Senatoi',  "and  on  that  ac- 
count precisely  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  the  su- 
perintendent, in  reclaiming  the  savage  from  tlie 
hunter  state.  The  first  state  after  that,  in  the  road 
to  refined  life,  is  the  pastoral,  and  without  nuisic  the 
tawny-colored  Corydons  and  the  red-skinned  Ama- 
ryllises, Wecuhans  sub  tegmine  far/i,^  upon  the  l)anks 
of   the   Missouri   and   Mississippi,   could    make    no 


108  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

progress  in  the  delightful  business  of  love  and  senti- 
ment. ' '  ^^^ 

These  councils  were  frequent  occurrences,  and 
their  importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  through  them 
certain  principles  could  be  instilled  into  the  minds 
of  the  natives  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances. The  words  spoken  by  the  agent  on  these 
occasions  had  probably  as  much  effect  in  con- 
trolling the  Indians  as  a  like  number  of  bullets 
would  have  had.  Major  Taliaferro  has  recorded 
one  of  the  orations  which  he  delivered  to  his  listen- 
ing wards.  He  referred  to  the  presence  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  told  of  his  long  service  among  them,  eulogized 
their  departed  elders  —  *'the  old  branches  which 
have  fallen  from  the  Trunk  of  the  old  oak  of  your 
Nation"  —  and  then  inserted  a  few  wise  admonitions 
as  to  the  futility  of  their  wars  with  the  Chippewas. 

* '  Your  Great  Father ' ',  he  said,  ' '  has  had  much  to 
do  with  war  —  but  his  heart  is  changed  for  peace  & 
he  wishes  all  his  red  children  as  well  as  his  white 
ones  to  follow  his  good  example  —  he  knows  this 
course  to  be  best  for  all  —  we  should  endeavor  to 
please  him  —  for  by  doing  so  we  shall  please  the 
Great  Spirit  also  —  You  will  see  your  children  grow- 
ing up  around  you  and  ^^our  wives  smiling  as  you 
approach  from  your  days  hunt." 

The  speech  ended  with  the  announcement  of  the 
coming  of  ' '  something  good  from  below ' '  and  an  ap- 
proaching visit  to  the  village  of  the  Red  Head.^^* 

During  these  meetings  at  the  agency  the  sound  of 
the  fort's  cannon  and  the  sight  of  the  well-uniformed 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  109 

griards  impressed  the  Indians  even  more  than  did 
the  words  of  the  agent.  There  they  became  ac- 
quainted with  white  men  other  than  traders,  and 
when  exploring  and  scientific  expeditions  came  over 
the  plains  with  a  guard  of  soldiers,  they  were  wise 
enough  not  to  interfere.  These  visits  in  themselves 
were  pleasant,  and  the  rations  of  bread  and  pork 
offered  an  agreeable  respite  from  their  usual  fare.*'^^ 

At  the  time  of  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien  in 
1825  one  ration  consisted  of  one  pound  of  bread  or 
one  pint  of  corn  and  either  one  pound  of  beef  or 
three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  pork.  This  may  be 
taken  as  a  fair  standard  of  the  kind  of  rations  issued 
at  the  agency.^^"  It  was  during  the  winter  months 
especially  when  starvation  or  suffering  would  other- 
wise result  that  this  aid  was  g'iven  to  the  Indians. 
During  the  summer  when  other  means  of  subsistence 
were  present,  all  appeals  for  food  were  refused.-" 
This  custom  of  granting  rations  was  formally  incor- 
porated in  the  law  of  June  30,  1834,  with  the  only 
restriction  that  they  were  to  be  given  only  if  "they 
can  be  spared  from  the  army  provisions  without  in- 
jury to  the  service  ".^^* 

The  condition  of  the  tribes  was  often  appalling, 
and  many  deaths  would  have  occurred  without  this 
aid.  At  one  time  Taliaferro  wrote  that  '*400  In- 
dians encamped  near  the  Agency  —  many  from  a  dis- 
tance and  in  a  starving  condition."^''"  Often  he  had 
to  take  from  his  own  private  funds,  after  he  had 
drawn  all  he  could  from  the  public  stores. ^'"'  Tlie 
winter  of  1842-1843  was  particularly  severe.     On  the 


110  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

first  of  November  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow^ 
which  as  late  as  April  still  lay  from  two  to  two  and 
a  half  feet  deep.  No  hunting  was  possible  because 
of  the  drifts,  and  fishing  through  the  ice  was  imprac- 
ticable, the  wind  blowing  the  holes  full  of  snow  as 
soon  as  they  were  cut.  The  Indians  living  al)out 
Lac  qui  Parle,  about  tw^o  hundred  miles  up  the  Min- 
nesota River,  came  with  the  missionary  Dr.  Thomas 
Williamson  to  winter  on  the  site  of  old  Camp  Cold 
Water,  knowing  that  only  from  the  fort  could  they 
obtain  relief. 

Everything  that  was  possible  was  done.  Blankets, 
guns,  and  ammunition  to  the  value  of  $2500  were 
granted  the  Indians.  Indeed,  so  many  provisions 
were  distributed  that  on  April  3rd  it  was  computed 
that  there  was  only  enough  left  to  supply  the  garri- 
son until  the  opening  of  navigation.  The  officers 
and  soldiers  saved  all  the  remains  from  the  tables 
and  once  a  day  the  squaws  and  children  were  allow^ed 
to  enter  and  receive  these  crumbs.  The  Indians  who 
were  away  from  the  post  were  not  neglected.  Sixty 
bushels  of  corn  and  several  barrels  of  pork  were  fur- 
nished by  Major  Dearborn  to  Mr.  H.  H.  Sibley  who 
sent  them  to  destitute  Indians  on  the  Minnesota 
River.  Still  there  was  much  suffering,  for  not 
enough  food  could  be  spared  to  satisfy  all.  Before 
spring  arrived  many  of  the  Indians  lived  upon  a 
syrup  made  of  hickory  chips  and  the  boiled  bark  of 
the  bitter  sweet.  All  became  greatly  emaciated  and 
some  were  unable  to  walk.^" 

From  time  to  time  a  solitary  Indian  on  a  business 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  111 

\^sit  to  the  trader  would  drop  in  to  chat  with  the 
''Father'-.  Here  he  could  make  any  complaints 
which  he  had  to  offer  and  be  sure  of  a  sympathetic 
if  not  satisfactory  answer.  "I  have  had  more  than 
fourteen  hundred  Indians  on  visits  from  all  Sections 
of  this  Agency  during  the  Month  past  —  and  all  with 
Grieveances  of  Some  Sort  to  redress",  wrote  Talia- 
ferro on  June  30,  1838.-''-  In  all  matters  concerning 
lands,  hunting,  treaties,  annuities,  and  the  like,  the 
Indian  looked  only  to  the  agent  for  advice  or  ex- 
planation. Instigated  by  the  traders,  many  of  whom 
were  hostile  to  him,  the  Indians  considered  him  re- 
sponsible for  the  acts  of  the  soldiers.^''^  If  a  pro- 
vision of  a  treaty  was  not  carried  out,  the  Indians 
thought  it  was  Taliaferro's  fault  "for  thev  know 
nothing  of  Congress  or  of  their  Multifarious  and 
protracted  debates,  and  proceedings."-^* 

A  personal  present  was  due  the  visitor  at  these 
"shake  hands"  occasions.  If  he  were  a  headman  or 
a  brave  he  received  a  pound  of  powder,  two  pounds 
of  lead,  a  fish  line,  a  knife,  four  fish  hooks,  and  six 
plugs  of  tobacco.  If  he  were  "any  respectable  In- 
dividual" he  was  sure  of  a  knife,  four  fish  hooks,  and 
six  plugs  of  tobacco."^  These  individual  visits  did 
much  to  acquaint  the  natives  personally  with  the 
agent,  in  the  same  way  that  the  council  impressed 
them  with  the  agent's  great  power. 

But  even  more  appreciated  was  the  help  offered  in 
time  of  sickness.  On  December  25,  1830,  Taliaferro 
records  in  his  diary:  "I  rode  up  the  SPeters  to 
See   an   Indian     ....     Doctor  Wood  went   up 


96 


112  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

also  —  I  dressed  her  wound  —  I  Sent  my  Interpreter 
up  with  other  restoratives  —  she  being  delerious."  - 
On  Saturday,  June  28,  1834,  there  came  to  him  a 
brave  saying*  that  both  his  son  and  daughter  were  ill. 
"Sent  a  message  to  Doct  Jarvis  to  call  &  see  the 
girl."  The  Sioux  boy  died  two  days  later.  But 
there  the  ministration  did  not  end.  To  the  mourn- 
ers were  given  cotton  and  calico,  or  a  blanket  in 
order  that  the  body  might  be  decently  covered.-" 

The  dread  scourge  of  smallpox  raged  in  the 
vicinity  of  Fort  Snelling  during  the  summer  of  1832. 
Two  Indians  coming  from  the  Missouri  River  were 
suffering  from  violent  attacks.  Immediately  the  dis- 
ease spread.  But  Dr.  Wood,  the  post's  physician, 
was  called  upon  by  Major  Taliaferro  and  at  the  end 
of  five  days  three  hundred  and  thirty  Sioux  had  been 
vaccinated.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  in  case 
the  Indians  came  to  the  agency  Dr.  Wood  received 
six  dollars  for  every  hundred  he  treated,  but  if  he 
went  to  their  villages  he  received  six  dollars  per 
day.''« 

Besides  these  services  the  visits  to  the  fort  offered 
direct  opportunity  for  the  giving  of  tangible  evi- 
dence of  American  supremacy.  The  English  gov- 
ernment had  lavishly  distributed  signs  of  authority. 
During  the  first  two  years  of  his  term  of  service, 
Taliaferro  collected  no  less  than  thirty-six  medals  of 
George  the  Third,  twenty-eight  British  flags,  and 
eighteen  gorgets.-''^  Some  of  these  were  presented 
to  the  agent  as  direct  evidence  of  submission  to 
American  authority.     In  1820  two  employees  of  the 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  113 

Missouri  Fur  Company  were  murdered  on  the  Mis- 
souri River.  The  surrender  of  the  murderers  was 
demanded  by  Taliaferro,  and  while  he  was  away  the 
tribe  came  to  Fort  Snelling  with  one  of  the  culprits 
and  a  hostage.  Colonel  Snelling,  then  acting  as 
agent,  described  the  scene  in  a  letter. 

"These  unfortunate  wretches  were  delivered  up 
last  evening  with  a  great  deal  of  ceremony,  &  I  as- 
sure you  with  alf ecting  solemnity ;  the  guards  being- 
first  put  under  arms,  they  formed  a  procession  in 
the  road  beyond  the  bake  house ;  in  front  marched  a 
Sussitong  bearing  a  British  flag,  next  came  the  Mur- 
derer &  the  devoted  chief,  their  arms  pinioned  & 
large  splinters  of  wood  thrust  through  them  above 
the  elbows,  intended  as  I  understood  to  show  us  that 
they  did  not  fear  pain  &  were  not  afraid  to  die.  the 
Murderer  wore  a  large  British  medal  suspended  to 
his  neck  &  both  of  the  prisoners  bore  offerings  of 
skins,  &c.  in  their  hands,  last  came  the  chiefs  of  the 
Sussitongs,  in  this  order  they  moved,  the  prisoners 
singing  their  death  song  &  the  Sussitongs  joining  in 
chorus  until  they  arrived  in  front  of  the  guard  house 
where  a  fire  being  previously  yjrepared,  the  British 
flag  was  burnt,  and  the  medal  worn  by  the  murderer 
given  up. ' ' "''° 

In  return  for  these  greatly  coveted  signs  of  re- 
spect the  agent  delivered  to  tlie  most  ])rominent 
chiefs  the  medals  and  certificates  of  the  United 
States.  And  thus  by  flattering  the  leaders  control 
over  the  Indians  was  assured.  What  chief  was  not 
proud  to  carry  with  him  this  certificate,  even  if  he 


114  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

could  not  read  it  himself?  "The  bearer  The  Whole 
in  the  day  is  a  respectable  Man,  and  wears  a  Seccond 
Size  Monroe  Medal  Presented  to  him  for  his  uniform 
Good  Conduct  and  great  attachment  to  the  United 
States — His  Residence  is  at  Sandy  Lake  Law  Talia- 
ferro Indian  Agent  at  St.  Peters  ".^°^ 

But  the  memory  of  the  days  of  English  rule  was 
still  alive,  the  suggestion  being  made  to  the  govern- 
ment that  'Hhe  gordgets  would  be  More  Acceptable 
were  they  to  be  fashioned  after  those  introduced 
formerly  by  the  British  Government  —  with  the  dif- 
ference only  of  the  Eagle  engraved  upon  each."^°- 
To  counteract  this  feeling  it  was  necessary  that  the 
government  should  be  lavish  in  the  distribution  of 
presents.  British  influence  and  example,  wrote 
Taliaferro  to  Clark  in  1831,  were  not  yet  ''fairly 
purged  of  their  baneful  effects  ".^°^    Even  as  late  as 

1834  a  few  extracts  from  the  reports  of  Major  Bliss 
indicate  that  this  feeling  was  still  noticeable.  ' '  The 
Sioux  Indians  expecting  and  favourable  to  an  Eng- 
lish war  with  the  U.  States",  he  wrote  in  April. 
The  next  month  he  reported  ' '  Sioux  and  Chippewas 
pacific  but  dissatisfied  with  U.  States",  and  in  July 

1835  he  informed  headquarters  that ' '  th^  Chippewas 
&  Sioux  are  dissatisfied  &  both  exhibit  symptoms  of 
hostility  to  the  U.  States  &  to  each  other.  The 
Sioux  the  most  decided."^"* 

English  visitors  at  a  much  later  period  congratu- 
lated their  government  because  the  Indians,  as  they 
said,  still  had  a  greater  fondness  for  the  British  than 
for  the  Americans. ^"^     Except,  however,  along  the 


THE  FORT  AND  IXDIAX  LIFE  113 

border,  among  the  tribes  outside  of  the  sphere  of  the 
agent  at  Fort  Snelling,  this  feeling  manifested  itself 
only  as  a  sentiment  which  could  lead  to  trouble  if  a 
break  between  the  two  nations  should  occur. 

To  emphasize  the  power  of  the  Nation,  the  agent 
brought  to  Washington  in  1824,  and  again  in  1837, 
delegations  of  chiefs.^"''  On  these  occasions  they 
were  taken  to  the  largest  and  busiest  cities,  enter- 
tained in  the  most  delightful  manner,  and  shown  the 
most  impressive  sights.  As  crowds  were  always 
drawn  together  to  see  the  Indians,  the  latter  received 
a  lasting  opinion  as  to  the  numbers  of  the  Amer- 
icans.^"^  Previously  the  Sioux  bands  had  thought 
that  if  ever  they  should  unite  their  forces,  they 
would  be  able  to  win  in  a  war  against  all  the  whites; 
but  now  they  were  disillusioned. ^°^ 

Undoubtedly  the  Indians  were  pleased  with  their 
journey.  ''Since  the  treaty  was  signed",  stated  a 
contemporary  newspaper,  "each  of  them  has  re- 
ceived a  coat,  hat,  blanket,  leggins,  epaulettes,  bands, 
and  scarfs,  and  when  dressed  in  full  uniform,  they 
exhibit  more  lively  pleasure  than  would  have  been 
expected  from  the  apath}^  of  Indian  character.  "^°° 
The  magnificence  which  they  had  seen  was  described 
amid  the  squalor  of  their  home  villages.  "Tlie  ef- 
fect produced  by  the  visit  of  their  chiefs  to  Wash- 
ington is  wonderful,  since  theii"  return,  the  power, 
wealth,  and  numbers  of  the  American  people  have 
been  their  constant  themes,  many  of  their  stories 
approach  so  near  the  mar\('ll(nis  as  to  be  discredited, 
sue]]  for  example  is  the  account  of  casting  a  cannon 


116  OLD  FORT  SMELLING 

which  they  witnessed,  and  the  magnitude  of  our 
ships.  Old  black  dog  shakes  his  head  &  says  'all 
travellers  are  liars '."  '^^^  The  memory  of  these  trips 
lingered  long.  Little  Crow  came  to  call  upon  the 
agent  in  1831.  ''The  old  chief  left  much  delighted 
with  his  reception  and  my  Talk  —  he  departed  sing- 
ing the  song  which  was  often  repeated  when  on  his 
trip  to  Washington  City  in  1824."^^^ 

The  Indians  touched  by  these  relations  with  the 
fort  were  not  only  its  immediate  neighbors.  The 
surrender  of  murderers  from  the  tribes  on  the  Mis- 
souri has  been  noted.  On  March  11,  1831,  Talia- 
ferro wrote  that  "I  observe  Indians  from  the  Mis- 
souri &  various  sections  of  the  Sioux  country.  "^^^ 
During  the  entire  winter  of  1831,  a  party  of  Missouri 
River  Indians  encamped  about  Fort  Snelling."^' 
The  Indians  on  the  prairies  were  wide  travellers. 
' '  There  are  a  good  many  Indians  about  here ' ',  says 
a  letter  from  Lac  qui  Parle.  "There  have  arrived 
120  lodges  of  Missouri  at  Lake  Traverse  and  200 
lodges  at  James  River.  ""^*  By  this  continual 
movement,  the  influence  of  Fort  Snelling  was  en- 
larged. 

How  great  was  this  influence?  No  one  has  con- 
tradicted the  statement  of  Mr.  Taliaferro  that  "it 
is  due  the  Sioux  of  vour  territorv  to  record  one  fact 
as  to  them,  and  that  is,  from  the  commencement  of 
our  agency  to  its  close,  our  frontier  pioneers  were 
never  even  molested  in  their  homes,  nor  did  they 
shed  one  drop  of  American  blood  ".^^^  It  was  when 
this  frontier  encroached  on  their  lands  that  hostilitv 


THE  FORT  AND  INDIAN  LIFE  117 

broke  out.  If  the  Indians  had  been  left  in  peace  by 
covetous  land-seekers,  their  civilization  might  in 
time  have  been  accomplished. 

There  was  practically  no  hostility  manifested 
against  the  garrison  by  the  surrounding  Indians. 
In  January,  1822,  Colonel  McNeil,  who  was  in  com- 
mand at  Fort  Dearborn,  received  word  from  John 
Kinzie,  the  pioneer  Chicago  trader,  that  the  Sioux 
and  Fox  Indians  were  planning  an  attack  on  Fort 
Snelling.  Lieutenant  James  Webb  immediately  vol- 
unteered to  bring  the  news  to  Fort  Armstrong  on 
Rock  Island,  from  whence  it  could  be  sent  to  the 
upper  post.  After  a  journey  rendered  terrible  by 
the  extreme  cold  and  the  danger  from  hostile  In- 
dians, he  was  successful  in  reaching  Fort  Arm- 
strong.^^'' 

In  due  time  the  letter  was  delivered  to  Colonel 
Snelling.  ''Wlien  I  first  received  Col  McNeils  let- 
ter," he  wrote  later,  ''I  was  disposed  to  smile  at  the 
absurdity  of  connecting  the  Sioux  &  Foxes,  in  a  de- 
sign to  attack  this  post".  But  he  later  found  out 
that  the  Foxes  had  sent  wampum  and  tobacco  to  the 
bands  of  Wabasha  and  Little  Crow,  asking  them  not 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  any  movements  they  might 
make.  Wal)asha  accepted  the  wampum  liut  Little 
Crow  came  to  the  fort  to  make  known  the  danger. 
The  vagueness  of  the  rumors,  however,  made  it  im- 
possible to  act,  and  later  developments  showed  that 
there  was  no  truth  in  the  report  —  at  least  no  vio- 
lence was  attempted. "'^^ 

Fear  of  the  strengtli  of  the  fort  prevented  liostil- 


118  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

ities.  It  was  the  Indian  fashion  to  attack  by  am- 
bush. They  did  not  have  the  patience  to  endure  a 
protracted  siege.  The  Americans  did  not  belittle 
the  strength  of  the  military  works.  Little  Thunder 
and  White  Head,  two  Indians  who  had  escaped  from 
the  jail  at  Mackinac  by  cutting  through  the  log  walls, 
met  an  American,  George  Johnson,  at  Lac  du  Flam- 
beau. They  were  very  inquisitive  about  the  strength 
of  Fort  Snelling  and  the  number  of  Americans  sta- 
tioned there.  Kegarding  this  incident  the  white  man 
wrote:  "I  answered  saying,  that  the  fort  at  River 
St.  Peters  was  as  strong  as  Quebec,  and  more  Amer- 
icans there  than  in  any  other  post."  "^^ 

The  government  did  not  adopt  Dr.  Morse's  plan 
for  civilizing  the  Indians,  but  the  agent  tried  to 
carry  out  the  policy  therein  suggested.  The  colony 
at  Eatonville,  located  on  Lake  Calhoun,  and  the  In- 
dian schools  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  mis- 
sionaries. After  the  making  of  treaties  a  black- 
smith shop  was  added  to  the  agency.  In  line  with 
his  policy  of  providing  for  all  classes  of  Indians, 
Taliaferro  urged  the  erection  of  an  orphan  asylum 
where  ''all  poor  blind,  and  helpless  women"  would 
also  be  accommodated.^^® 

If  time  had  been  given  doubtless  a  new  form  of 
Indian  life  would  have  arisen  about  the  fort ;  but  the 
coming  of  the  land-seekers  destroyed  the  plan.  The 
failure  was  to  result  in  a  great  massacre  in  1862. 
This  much  at  least  can  be  said  for  Old  Fort  Snelling ; 
it  kept  the  Indians  friendl}^  w^hile  the  foundations  of 
American  life  were  being  laid  in  the  Northwest. 


VIII 

THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FEUDS 

One  of  the  reasons  given  for  the  building  of  Fort 
Snelling  was  that  it  would  prevent  the  disastrous 
wars  existing  between  the  Sioux  and  Chippewa  In- 
dians.^-°  Beginning  so  far  in  the  past  that  no  cause 
could  be  ascribed  for  the  hostility,  each  encounter 
was  in  itself  both  the  result  of  preceding  conflicts  and 
the  excuse  for  further  warfare.  Pierre  Esprit  do 
J^adisson,  who  was  the  first  writer  to  leave  an 
account  of  the  Chippewas,  said  that  even  at  the 
time  of  his  visit  in  about  1660  they  were  carrying- 
on  "a  cruell  warre  against  the  Nadoueseronoras 
[Sioux]."  ^^^ 

Lurking  in  the  bushes  to  waylay  their  enemies  on 
the  woodland  paths,  hiding  on  the  river  banks  to 
intercept  hostile  canoes,  pretending  peace  and  enjoy- 
ing hospitality  in  order  to  have  an  opportunity  for 
treachery  were  the  military  tactics  of  the  Sioux  and 
Chippewa  warriors.  To  prevent  such  warfare,  a 
military  post  was  almost  powerless.  In  fact,  so  in- 
sidious was  the  hostility  that  even  the  v(M"y  gi-ounds 
of  Fort  Snelling  were  the  scene  of  bloody  encounters. 

Attempts  were  made  to  keep  the  Chippewas  away 
from  Foi't  Snelling  by  attaching  them  to  the  agency 
of  H.  R.  Schoolcraft  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.'^"    But  tho 

11 'J 


120  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

distance  was  so  great  and  the  route  so  difficult  that 
the  Chippewas  did  not  make  the  journey  to  consult 
that  agent.  On  the  other  hand,  Fort  Snelling  was  so 
close,  and  the  Mississippi  such  a  natural  outlet  from 
their  country,  that  a  trader  declared  that  ''you 
might  as  well  try  to  Stop  the  "Water  in  the  Missis- 
sippi from  going  to  St  Louis,  as  attempt  to  keep  the 
Chippeway  Indians  from  St  Peters.  "^-^ 

During  the  last  daj^s  of  the  month  of  May,  1827, 
Flat  Mouth,  chief  of  the  Sandy  Lake  band  of  Chip- 
pewa Indians  was  encamped  near  Fort  Snelling.  A 
number  of  men,  women,  and  children  were  with  him, 
bringing  maple  sugar,  which  they  had  gathered  in 
the  northern  woods  during  the  winter,  and  other 
articles  to  sell  to  the  garrison.  Major  Taliaferro 
w^as  away  at  the  time,  but  on  May  24th  the  steamboat 
''Pilot"  landed  him  safely  at  Fort  Snelling.  To 
welcome  their  "Father"  home,  and  perchance  to  see 
if  he  had  any  presents  or  promises  for  them,  a  large 
number  of  Sioux  came  from  their  villages  to  the  fort, 
as  was  usual  on  such  occasions.  The  agent  took  the 
opportunity  presented  by  the  presence  of  both  Sioux 
and  Chippewas  to  deliberate  with  them  in  regard  to 
peace,  and  also  to  request  the  Chippewas  not  to  visit 
Fort  Snelling  again,  in  accordance  with  instructions 
which  he  had  received  from  the  Indian  Department. 
To  this  Flat  Mouth  replied  sorrowfully:  "I  feel 
myself  now  like  a  Dog  driven  away  from  your  door 
to  find  another  —  I  am  ashamed  of  this  —  but  I  know 
you  are  doing  this  not  by  your  wish. ' '  ^-^ 

The  twenty-eighth  day  of  the  month  proved  the 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  121 

value  of  the  advice  Major  Taliaferro  had  given. 
Several  Sioux  came  to  visit  at  a  Chippewa  lodge 
pitched  directly  under  and  in  front  of  the  agency 
house  on  the  flats  that  border  the  Minnesota  River. 
The  guns  of  the  fort  could  easily  have  been  trained 
upon  the  spot.  There  was  feasting  and  friendly 
revelry  at  the  lodge  that  afternoon  and  evening. 
Meat,  corn,  and  sugar  were  served  in  wooden  plat- 
ters ;  a  dog  was  roasted  and  eaten.  The  peace  pipe 
was  smoked,  and  the  conversation  was  peaceful  re- 
garding exploits  in  the  hunt  and  the  chase. 

At  nine  o'clock  when  the  party  broke  up,  as  the 
Chippewas  were  calling  friendly  good-byes  to  the 
departing  Sioux  who  had  advanced  a  few^  steps,  the 
latter  turned  and  fired  into  the  midst  of  the  unsus- 
pecting inhabitants  of  the  tepee.  There  was  instant 
confusion.  With  a  shout  of  triumph  the  Sioux  ran 
off.  The  sentinel  on  the  hill  above  heard  the  shots 
and  cries  and  called  for  the  guard.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments there  was  at  the  gate  of  the  fort  a  crowd  of 
panic-stricken  Chippewas  carrying  their  wounded 
and  cr\ang  for  protection.  Six  men,  one  woman, 
and  a  girl  about  eight  years  old  were  handed  over  to 
the  surgeon  of  the  post.  Doctor  McMahon. 

Immediately  Major  Taliaferro  notified  the  Sioux 
that  they  had  insulted  the  flag  that  waved  ovei'  the 
land,  and  that  ample  satisfaction  must  be  made  to 
the  Chippewas  who  had  been  treated  in  such  a  cow- 
ardly manner.  In  council  with  the  agent.  Strong 
Earth,  a  chief  of  the  Chippewas,  complained  of  the 
lack  of  protection:     "Father:     You  know  tliat  two 


122  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Summers  ago  we  attended  a  Great  Council  at  Prairie 
du  Cliien,  when  by  the  advice  of  Our  White  Friends, 
we  made  Peace  with  the  Sioux  —  We  were  then  told, 
that  the  Americans  would  Guarantee  our  Safety 
under  their  Flags  —  We  have  Come  here  under  that 
Assurance.  But  Father,  look  at  Your  Floor  it  is 
stained  with  the  blood  of  our  people  shed  while  un- 
der Your  Walls.  If  you  are  great  and  powerful  why 
do  You  not  protect  us?  If  Not,  of  what  use  are 
Your  Soldiers  ?"^-^ 

On  the  morning  following  the  massacre  a  large 
body  of  Sioux—  estimated  at  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  —  appeared  on  the  prairie  west  of  the  fort. 
Brevet  Major  Fowle  was  ordered  to  march  against 
them  with  two  companies.  Upon  his  appearance 
they  fled,  but  he  followed  and  was  successful  in  cap- 
turing some  of  them.  Nine  Sioux  —  one  of  whom 
Major  Taliaferro  reports  was  given  up  volun- 
tarily—  were  delivered  up  to  the  Chippewas.  Iden- 
tifying two  of  these  as  being  among  the  murderers, 
they  requested  permission  to  execute  them  immedi- 
ately. 

Upon  the  broad  prairie  the  two  prisoners  were 
given  their  freedom.  They  were  told  to  run,  and 
when  a  few  paces  away  the  Chippewa  warriors  fired, 
and  the  Sioux  fell  dead.  Then  followed  a  hideous 
scene  which  a  spectator  described  many  years  later. 
''The  bodies,  all  warm  and  limp,  are  dragged  to  the 
brow  of  the  hill.  Men  who  at  the  sight  of  blood, 
become  almost  fiends,  tear  off  the  reeking  scalps  and 
hand  them  to  the  chief,  who  hangs  them  around  his 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  123 

neck.  Women  and  children  with  tomahawks  and 
knives  cut  deep  gashes  in  the  poor  dead  l)odies,  and 
scooping  up  the  hot  blood  with  their  hands,  eagerly 
drink  it;  then,  grown  frantic,  they  dance,  and  yell, 
and  sing  their  horrid  scalp  songs,  recounting  deeds  of 
valor  on  the  part  of  their  brave  men,  and  telling  off 
the  Sioux  scalps,  taken  in  different  battles,  until 
tired  and  satiated  at  last  with  their  horrid  feast, 
they  leave  the  mutilated  bodies  —  festering  in  the 
sun."^^°  At  evening  the  bodies  were  thrown  over 
the  cliff  into  the  river  below. 

On  the  morning  of  the  thirty-first  the  Sioux  deliv- 
ered up  to  the  Chippewas  two  others  who,  they 
claimed,  had  been  the  principal  men  in  the  affair. 
If  the  Chippewas  did  not  shoot  them,  they  said,  they 
would  do  it  themselves,  as  trouble  had  come  to  their 
nation  on  their  account.  But  the  Chippewas  were 
willing. 

About  this  second  execution  there  has  gi-own  up 
an  interesting  story.  One  of  the  offenders,  Toopun- 
kah  Zeze,  was  a  favorite  among  the  children  of  the 
fort.  Tall  and  handsome  and  athletic  and  brave,  he 
was  the  ideal  of  Indian  manhood.  The  other,  called 
the  Split  Upper  Lip,  was  well  known  as  a  thief,  and 
was  as  much  detested  as  his  companion  was  re- 
spected. He  cried  and  begged  for  his  life,  saying 
that  his  gun  had  missed  fire  —  he  had  killed  no  one. 
The  other  calmly  distributed  his  clothes  among  his 
friends,  upbraiding  his  companion  foi*  his  cowardice. 
"You  lie,  dog.  Coward,  old  woman,  yon  know  that 
yon  lie.     You  know  that  you  are  as  guilty  as  I  am. 


124  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Hold  your  peace  and  die  like  a  man  —  die  like  me." 
Tlie  two  were  brought  out  upon  the  prairie. 
Again  the  thirty  yards  were  allowed ;  again  the  Chip- 
pewa g-uns  were  fired.  For  once  it  seemed  that  this 
Indian  punishment  of  "running  the  gantlet"  would 
lose  a  victim.  For  Toopunkah  Zeze  was  still  run- 
ning. The  bullet  had  cut  the  rope  that  bound  him  to 
his  falling  companion.  With  new  hope  he  leaped 
forward.  There  was  a  shout  of  triumph  from  a 
group  of  Sioux  hidden  in  the  bushes;  and  the  chil- 
dren of  the  fort,  who  had  climbed  upon  the  buildings 
to  view  the  bloody  scene  from  afar,  clapped  their 
hands.  But  the  Chippewas  were  cool  in  their  ven- 
geance. Guns  were  reloaded  and  deliberate  aim 
taken.  The  flints  struck,  and  Toopunkah  Zeze,  now 
a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away  and  a  second's  dis- 
tance from  a  place  where  the  straggling  groves  of 
the  prairie  offered  life,  fell  dead.  Two  more  bodies 
were  thrown  over  the  precipice  into  the  river.^" 

For  ten  years  the  hostilit}-^  continued,  but  the  en- 
virons of  the  fort  were  sacred  places.  An  effective 
lesson  had  been  taught  in  1827.  But  on  AugTist  2, 
1838,  Hole-in-the-Day,  a  Chippewa  chief,  and  five  of 
his  band  came  to  Fort  Snelling  on  a  visit.  That 
spring  there  had  been  a  treacherous  massacre  by 
Hole-in-the-Day  at  a  Sioux  camp.  It  was  true,  as 
he  said  in  the  poetic  simplicity  of  Indian  style: 
''You  See  I  cannot  keep  my  face  Clean  —  as  fast  as 
it  is  Washed  —  I  am  Compelled  to  black  it  Again. — 
but  My  heart  towards  you  is  the  Same.  —  My 
Fathers  Bones  Sleep  by  your  house  —  My  Daughter 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  125 

at  the  Falls  Near  the  Grave  of  my  Uncle  —  My  Wife 
lies  at  the  Mouth  of  Sauk  River  —  and  a  fe\v  days 
past  I  buried  My  Son."^^* 

On  the  follo\\ing  evening  some  Sioux  of  Mud  Lake, 
hearing  of  the  presence  of  the  Chippewas,  rode  over 
to  Baker 's  trading  house  where  the  Chippewas  were 
encamped.  Major  Taliaferro  had  heard  of  the  de- 
parture of  the  war  party  and  had  hurried  to  the 
scene.  Just  as  he  arrived  the  Sioux  fired  upon  their 
enemies,  killing  one  outright  and  wounding  another 
in  the  knee.  All  but  one  of  the  Chippewas  had  laid 
aside  their  guns,  thinking  that  they  were  upon  neu- 
tral gTound.  This  one,  seeing  a  Sioux  in  the  act  of 
scalping  the  fallen  Chippewa,  fired  upon  him  and 
wounded  him  mortally.  But  aided  by  the  dusk  the 
wounded  Sioux  was  able  to  run  more  than  a  mile  be- 
fore he  fell  from  loss  of  blood. 

The  Chippewas  were  immediately  brought  into  the 
fort  for  protection.  On  the  next  day  Major  Pl^nnp- 
ton  and  the  Indian  agent  called  together  the  chiefs 
of  the  neighboring  villages.  There  was  a  long  coun- 
cil until  Major  Plympton  broke  it  up  by  saying  per- 
emptorily: "It  is  unnecessary  to  talk  much.  I 
have  demanded  the  guilty  —  they  must  be  l)rought. " 

At  half  past  five  that  evening  the  Sioux  were 
delivered  u)).  Three  l)rotliers  had  been  accused  of 
being  guilty  of  the  murder.  One  of  them  could  not 
be  brouglit  because  he  was  dying  of  the  wound  re- 
ceived the  evening  before.  Much  ceremony  attended 
the  proceedings  as  the  Indian  mothei-  led  licr  sons  lo 
the  officers  saying:     "Of  seven  sons  three  oiilx   ni-e 


126  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

left ;  one  of  them  is  wounded,  and  soon  will  die,  and 
if  the  two  now  given  up  are  shot,  my  all  is  gone. 
I  called  on  the  head  men  to  follow  me  to  the  Fort.  I 
started  with  the  prisoners,  singing  their  death  song, 
and  have  delivered  them  at  the  gate  of  the  Fort. 
Have  mercy  on  them  for  their  youth  and  folly. ' ' "-' 

Because  of  the  attack  which  Hole-in-the-Day  had 
made  on  the  Sioux  a  short  time  before.  Major 
Plympton  decided  not  to  execute  the  prisoners. 
They  were  turned  over  to  their  own  people  to  be 
flogged  in  the  presence  of  the  officers.  More  humil- 
iating than  death  was  their  punishment.  Their 
blankets,  leggins,  and  breech-cloths  were  cut  into 
small  pieces,  and  finally  the  braves  whipped  them 
with  long  sticks  while  the  women  stood  about  cry- 

Jj-jg.  330 

Althougji  there  was  now  a  deep  desire  for  revenge 
in  each  of  the  tribes,  they  manifested  outward 
friendliness  when  they  met  at  the  fort.  During  the 
month  of  June,  1839,  there  came  to  Fort  Snelling 
over  twelve  hundred  Chippewas  thinking  that  there 
they  would  be  paid  their  annuities  for  the  land  they 
had  ceded  in  1837.  There  were  two  main  groups  — 
one  Avhich  came  down  from  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  the  other  which  came  up  the  river 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  St.  Croix.  At  the  same  time 
Sioux  numbering  eight  hundred  and  seventy  were 
encamped  near  the  agency.  This  was  considered  an 
opportune  time  to  conclude  a  peace,  and  so  the  long- 
calumet  with  its  mixture  of  tobacco  and  bark  of  the 
willow  tree  was  smoked  while  friendlv  athletic  eon- 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  127 

tests  were  held  on  the  prairie.  On  July  1st  the  two 
parties  of  Chippewas  started  for  home.  But  in  one 
of  the  bands  were  the  two  sons  of  the  man  who  had 
been  murdered  the  year  before.  In  the  evening  be- 
fore beginning'  their  homeward  journey,  they  visited 
the  graveyard  of  the  fort  to  cry  over  the  grave  of 
their  father.  Here  the  thought  of  vengeance  came 
to  them,  and  morning  found  them  liidden  in  the 
bushes  near  the  trail  that  skirted  the  shore  of  Lake 
Harriet.  The  Badger,  a  Sioux  warrior,  was  the  first 
to  pass  that  way  as  he  went  out  in  the  early  morning 
to  hunt  pigeons.  A  moment  later  he  w^as  shot  and 
scalped.  The  murderers  then  hurried  away  and  hid 
behind  the  water  at  Minnehaha  Falls. 

A  few  hours  later,  when  the  news  had  spread 
throughout  all  the  Sioux  villages,  two  bands  set  out 
to  take  revenge  upon  the  departing  Chippewas.  The 
old  men,  the  women,  and  the  children  remained  at 
home,  eagerly  awaiting  the  result  of  the  coming- 
battle  and  cutting  their  arms  and  legs  with  their 
knives  in  grief  over  the  losses  which  they  knew  their 
bands  would  have  to  undergo. 

It  happened  that  at  that  time  the  Right  Reverend 
Mathias  Loras,  the  first  Bishop  of  Dubuque,  was  at 
Fort  Snelling.  He  had  1)een  an  interested  spectator 
at  the  Sioux-Chippewa  peace  parleys,  had  watched 
tlie  departure  of  the  determined  avengers,  and  now 
was  anxiously  awaiting  the  result  of  tlic  conflict. 
On  the  morning  of  July  4th  as  he  was  praying  at  his 
altar  foi-  tlie  prosperity  of  his  country  he  was 
startled  bv  the  shrill  notes  of  the  Sioux  death-song, 


128  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

and  gazing  througli  the  window  saw  a  bloody  throng, 
dancing  about  the  long  poles  from  which  dangled 
scalps  with  parts  of  the  skulls  still  attached.  Two 
terrible  struggles  had  taken  place  the  day  before. 
On  the  Rum  River  seventy  Chippewa  scalps  had 
been  taken,  and  on  the  banks  of  Lake  St.  Croix  twen- 
ty-five more  were  obtained.  In  both  cases  the  losses 
of  the  Sioux  were  smaller.  These  trophies  were 
brought  to  the  villages,  where  they  were  danced 
about  nightly  until  the  leaves  began  to  fall  in  the 
autumn,  when  thev  were  buried.^^^ 

These  incidents  which  centered  about  Fort  Snell- 
ing  have  led  to  the  charge  made  against  it,  that  in- 
stead of  preventing  the  conflicts  the  fort  intensified 
them.  The  fort  was  a  convenient  meeting  place,  it 
is  argued,  whither  both  parties  resorted  only  to  be- 
come involved  in  altercations  and  disputes  which 
resulted  in  a  flaring-up  of  old  flames.^^^  But  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  murders  away  from  the  fort 
were  more  numerous ;  ^^^  and  it  is  easier  to  recall  the 
spectacular  encounters  which  occurred  at  the  fort, 
than  the  many  occasions  when  the  two  tribes  met 
peacefully  as  the  guests  of  the  officials. 

A  military  officer  who  was  stationed  there  wrote : 
''At  Fort  Snelling  I  have  seen  the  Sioux  and  Chip- 
peways  in  friendly  converse,  and  passing  their  pipes 
in  the  most  amicable  manner  when  if  thev  had  met 
away  from  the  post  each  would  have  been  stri^^ng 
for  the  other's  scalp. "^"*  The  Indian  agent,  whose 
success  depended  upon  the  continuation  of  peace, 
noted    with    pleasure    these    friendly    gatherings. 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  129 

''The  Crane  and  the  Hole  in  the  Day  —  and  other 
Chippeways  at  the  Agency  this  day  —  Several  Sissi- 
ton  Sioux  also  at  the  Agency. ' '  ^^"  These  visits  were 
often  protracted  for  several  weeks  without  trouble. 
''Chippeways — ^a  number  of  these  people  also  at  the 
agency  —  some  have  been  here  for  nearly  30  days  — 
fishing  &  liveing  better  &  more  independently  than 
the  Sioux.  "^^"^  On  the  29th  and  30th  of  June,  1831, 
Chippewas  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
met  five  villages  of  Sioux.^" 

Efforts  to  combat  the  evil  w^ere  made  in  council 
with  the  Indians.  ' '  Your  wars  with  the  Chippeways 
can  never  be  of  service  to  anyone",  reasoned  their 
"Father",  ''for  as  fast  as  you  destroy  one  —  two  or 
three  more  young  men  are  ready  to  take  the  track 
of  their  deceased  friends  —  The  old  people  among 
you  ought  to  know  this  —  after  the  long  wars  be- 
tween you".'^^^  Most  of  the  encounters  took  place 
either  when  the  warriors  were  emboldened  by  liquor, 
or  when  the  rival  hunting  parties  met  on  the  plains. 
The  strict  enforcement  of  the  law  of  1832  prohibiting 
the  introduction  of  spirits  had  a  tranquilizing  effect 
in  the  country  of  the  Chippewas.  Indeed,  the  prin- 
cipal object  of  all  efforts  to  suppress  the  liquor 
traffic  was  the  prevention  of  inter-tribal  wars.^^® 

Constant  watching  of  the  hunting  parties  and  ad- 
monition as  to  their  conduct  were  among  the  duties 
of  tlie  agent.  "Sent  my  interpreter  up  the  Missis- 
sippi among  the  Indians",  lie  writes,  "to  see  how 
they  are  progressing  in  their  hunts  and  as  to  the 
present     Inmting    grounds     of    tlio    Chippeways." 


130  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

Eight  days  later  record  is  made  of  the  fact  that ' '  the 
Rum  River  Chippeways  left  for  their  camp  this 
morning  —  Sent  word  to  their  people  to  hunt  on 
their  own  Lands  &  not  by  any  Means  to  intrude  upon 
the  Soil  of  the  Sioux."  When  the  interpreter  re- 
turned he  reported  that  everything  was  quiet  be- 
tween the  two  tribes. "*''  The  sending  of  ''runners" 
to  the  camps  was  a  frequent  occurrence  during  the 
winter  of  1831,  the  region  covered  being  eighty  miles 
to  the  east  and  two  hundred  miles  to  the  north.^*^ 

In  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien  of  1825  a  divid- 
ing line  between  the  two  tribes,  beyond  which  neither 
should  pass,  was  agreed  upon.^*"  But  this  provision 
was  for  many  years  a  dead  letter.  As  long  as  the 
line  was  unsurveyed  the  natives  could  urge  indef- 
initeness  of  territory  as  an  excuse  for  murder  and 
depredations  —  claiming  that  the  other  party  was 
the  trespasser.  When  Schoolcraft  met  the  chiefs  of 
the  Chippewas  in  council  at  Leech  Lake  in  1832,  the 
latter  complained  that  the  provisions  of  the  treaty 
had  not  been  carried  out.  ' '  The  words  of  the  Long- 
knives  have  passed  through  our  forests  as  a  rushing 
wind,  but  they  have  been  words  merely.  They  have 
only  shaken  the  trees,  but  have  not  stopped  to  break 
them  down,  nor  even  to  make  the  rough  places 
smooth. ' '  ^*^  As  a  result  Mr.  Schoolcraft  urged  upon 
the  Secretary  of  War  the  necessity  of  marking  the 
line.^*^ 

Seven  thousand  dollars  were  appropriated  by  the 
act  of  June  26,  1834,  for  the  purpose  of  running  this 
line,^*^  and  the  next  spring  Major  J.  L.  Bean,  accom- 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  131 

panied  by  Duncan  Campbell,  tlie  Sioux  interpreter 
of  the  agency,  commenced  the  survey.^'"^  Later  an 
escort  of  troops  from  Fort  Snelling  was  sent  him 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  William  Storer, 
with  the  result  that  the  reduced  garrison  was  unable 
to  enforce  order.^^"  When  the  survey  had  been  com- 
pleted from  the  Chippewa  River  to  Otter  Tail  Lake 
the  return  of  the  military  escort  put  an  end  to  the 
work,  but  the  agent  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  most 
important  part  had  been  marked. ^^^ 

Efforts  were  made  by  the  government  to  keep 
dovni  the  warlike  spirit  of  the  tribes.  Thus,  when 
Captain  Gale  allowed  the  Lidians  to  come  into  the 
fort  and  dance  the  scalp  dance  in  June,  1830,  his  act 
was  disapproved  of,  and  he  had  to  stand  trial.^*^ 
Likewise  peace  conferences  were  fostered  in  order 
to  put  the  seal  of  the  authority  of  the  government 
upon  the  transactions.  During  the  winter  of  1831 
truces  were  made  between  several  of  the  bands 
through  the  efforts  of  Agent  Taliaferro. ^^^  On 
August  2,  1843,  a  great  gathering  of  the  two  nations 
was  held  at  the  fort,  where  a  treaty  of  peace  was 
drawn  up  under  the  auspices  of  the  civil  and  military 
authorities.^"  During  the  first  year  it  was  kept  in- 
violate, ''if  we  except  two  or  three  individual  cases 
of  outrage.  "^^- 

Even  as  late  as  June,  1850,  an  assemblage  of  both 
tribes  was  called  together  by  Governor  Ramsey. 
The  Chippewas  were  encamped  north  of  the  fort  on 
the  bluff  above  the  Mississippi.  In  front  of  them  a 
detachment  of  infantry  was  drawm  up.     Within  the 


132  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

fort  the  artillery  was  in  readiness.  When  word  was 
sent  to  the  Sioux  that  all  things  were  ready,  they 
approached,  about  three  hundred  strong,  on  horse- 
back, all  armed  and  painted,  their  whoops  mingling 
with  the  jingling  of  their  arms,  ornaments,  and  the 
bells  of  their  horses.  Making  a  feint  as  if  to  rush 
around  the  soldiers,  they  suddenly  wheeled  to  one 
side  and  became  quiet;  while  the  Chippewas  on  the 
other  side  of  the  line  of  infantry  continued  to  dance 
and  wave  their  weapons.  It  was  amid  such  stirring 
war-like  scenes  that  attempts  for  peace  were  made.^^^ 

The  earliest  policy  of  the  government  had  been  to 
interfere  as  little  as  possible,  and  to  allow  retribu- 
tion to  be  made  by  one  tribe  on  another.  But  such 
inactivity  did  not  appeal  to  a  red-blooded  officer  like 
Colonel  Snelling,  who  wrote  after  the  trouble  in 
1827 :  ''I  have  no  hesitation  in  Saying  that  the  Mil- 
itary on  this  frontier  are  useless  for  want  of  discre- 
tionary power,  and  that  if  it  is  not  intrusted  to  the 
Commander,  Men  of  Straw  with  Wooden  Guns  and 
Swords  mil  answer  the  purpose  as  well  as  a  Regi 
of  Infantry.  "^^* 

But  later  the  policy  was  adopted  of  confining  in 
the  '^ Black  Hole"  of  the  fort  any  culprits  who  were 
captured.  Thirteen  of  the  Sioux  who  participated 
in  a  massacre  at  Apple  River  were  imprisoned  ;^^^ 
and  on  one  occasion  Little  Crow's  band  performed 
the  scalp  dance  near  Fort  Snelling  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  murder  of  two  Chippewas,  while  the  mur- 
derers themselves  languished  in  the  fort.^^"  Prob- 
ably this  method  of  dealing  with  the  problem  would 


THE  SIOUX-CHIPPEWA  FUEDS  133 

have  been  adopted  earlier;  but  "the  force  at  this 
point",  wrote  an  ofificer,  "has  been  too  small  to  send 
a  sufficient  force  to  take  the  offenders,  even  should 
an  order  to  that  effect  be  issued. ' '  ^" 

To  determine  how  influential  Fort  Snelling  was  in 
maintaining  order  is  impossible.  As  was  the  case 
with  the  liquor  traffic,  conditions  were  bad  but  could 
have  been  worse.  From  time  to  time  there  were 
events  that  indicated  some  success.  After  a  peace 
had  been  concluded  on  the  fourth  of  June,  1823,  a 
small  quarrel  almost  precipitated  a  general  conflict 
on  the  sixth.  Much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  Italian 
traveller,  J.  C.  Beltrami,  who  was  then  a  guest  at  the 
fort,  the  officers  were  successful  in  preventing  blood- 
shed. "Everything  conspired  against  my  poor 
notes",  he  wrote,  "I  had  already  perched  myself  on 
an  eminence  for  the  purpose  of  enriching  them  with 
an  Indian  battle,  and  behold  I  have  nothing  to  write 
but  this  miserable  article !....!  almost  sus- 
pected that  the  savages  were  in  a  league  with  the 
gentlemen  of  the  fort  to  disappoint  me."^^* 

Peace  was  maintained  during  the  winter  of  1831 
on  a  line  of  three  hundred  and  forty  miles  above  and 
below  Fort  Snelling,  and  on  one  occasion  there  oc- 
curred the  pleasant  sight  of  Sioux  and  Chippewas 
departing  in  company  for  their  hunting  grounds  on 
the  Sauk  River.^^^  Man-of-the-sky,  who  was  chief 
of  tlie  Lake  Calhoun  l)and  of  Sioux,  boasted  tliat 
althougli  he  was  only  twenty-five  years  old  at  the 
time,  he  had  already  killed  six  Ohippewas  when  Fort 
Snelling  was  erected,  and  added  :     "TTad  it  not  l)een 


134  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

for  that  I  should  have  killed  many  more,  or  have 
been  myself  killed  ere  this."^**"  It  is  interesting  to 
note  in  connection  with  the  sacredness  of  these 
treaties  the  comment  of  Major  Taliaferro  that 
"much  more  reliance  is  to  be  placed  in  the  good  faith 
of  the  Chippeways  than  in  that  of  the  Sioux. ' '  '"^ 

These  spasmodic  successes  at  least  acquainted  the 
Indians  with  governmental  restraint.  A  paragraph 
from  the  manuscript  diary  of  the  agent  refutes  the 
argument  that  Fort  Snelling  intensified  rather  than 
alleviated  these  struggles.  "From  January  1833  up 
to  this  day",  wrote  Taliaferro,  "there  has  been  no 
difficulty  between  the  Sioux  and  Chippeways  —  I 
once  kept  these  tribes  at  peace  for  two  years  and  Six 
Months  lacking  15  days.  And  this  between  the  j^ears 
1821  &  1825  till  June  8th  of  the  latter  year.  Colonel 
Eobert  Dickson  remarked  to  me  that  Such  a  thing- 
had  never  occurred  before  even  when  he  headed  the 
tribes  against  Us  in  the  War  of  1812."^®^ 


IX 

THE  FUR  TRADE 

The  Indian  trading-liouse  which  had  been  planned 
for  the  agency  at  Fort  SneUing  never  materialized. 
Failure  of  the  houses  in  operation  to  pay  expenses 
and  the  opposition  of  the  private  traders  led  to  their 
abolition  in  1822.  Thereafter,  whatever  attention 
the  government  directed  toward  the  trade  was  influ- 
enced by  the  desire  to  prevent  tampering  with  the 
allegiance  of  the  Indians  on  the  part  of  foreigners 
and  to  control  this  traffic  which  could  contribute  so 
much  good  or  so  much  evil  to  the  lives  of  the  govern- 
ment's wards. ^''^ 

With  the  Indian  trade  left  to  the  private  traders, 
great  trading  companies  developed,  since  the  fur 
trade  easily  lent  itself  to  the  corporation  system. 
Cooperation  in  the  marketing  of  furs  and  in  the  buy- 
ing of  goods  eliminated  many  of  the  difficulties  which 
a  single  individual  would  meet.  The  American  Fur 
Company,  so  long  guided  l)y  John  Jacol)  Astor,  had 
a  practical  monopoly  of  the  trade  during  the  time 
that  Old  Fort  Snelling  was  in  existence.  Mendota 
was  the  headquarters  of  a  vast  region  which  ex- 
tended from  the  Mississippi  to  the  headwaters  of 
the  streams  flowing  into  the  Missouri.  At  various 
places  throngliont  this  territory  were  trading  posts 

185 


136  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

called  "forts",  although  they  consisted  of  no  more 
than  a  few  huts  within  a  stockade.  These  were  all 
subsidiary  to  the  post  at  Mendota. 

Goods  for  the  Indian  trade  were  much  the  same  as 
those  given  as  presents  by  the  government  officials  — 
blankets,  trinkets,  tobacco,  knives,  and  the  like. 
These  goods  were  sent  in  great  Mackinac  boats  from 
the  East  to  be  distributed  among  the  posts.  Each 
Indian  hunter  received  on  credit  goods  valued  at 
forty  or  fifty  dollars  in  payment  for  which  he 
pledged  the  spoils  of  his  winter's  hunt.  If  the  trad- 
er did  not  go  with  his  band,  he  visited  them  occasion- 
ally or  sent  his  engages  to  see  that  they  were  hunting 
and  that  no  other  trader  was  tampering  with  them  to 
secure  their  furs.  In  the  spring  the  Indian  would 
deliver  furs  valued  at  twice  the  amount  of  the  goods 
received.  The  trading  company's  profit  was,  ac- 
cordingly, about  one  hundred  per  cent.  To  carry 
out  the  details  of  the  traffic  there  grew  up  within  the 
company  a  complicated  system  of  factors,  clerks, 
voyageurs,  and  hivernants.^'^* 

With  the  entire  S3^stem  of  the  fur  trade  the  mili- 
tary officials  had  little  to  do  except  in  the  matter  of 
regulation.  Not  much  military  protection  was  nec- 
essary as  the  Indian  looked  upon  the  trader  more  as 
a  friend  than  an  enemy.^"^  Care  in  respect  to  the 
character  of  the  men  engaged  and  supervision  of  the 
method  of  carrying  on  trade  were  the  two  things  nec- 
essary. According  to  the  act  of  March  30,  1802, 
which  was  supplemented  by  the  acts  of  April  29, 
1816,  and  June  30,  1834,  no  one  could  carry  on  trade 


THE  FUR  TRADE  137 

with  the  Indians  without  obtaining  a  license  from  an 
Indian  agent,  which  was  subject  to  revocation  by  the 
superintendent  of  the  district.^"'' 

Many  were  the  problems  which  Major  Taliaferro 
was  obliged  to  consider  when  he  granted  a  license. 
A  license  was  valid  for  trade  only  at  a  certain  place 
and  among  a  certain  tribe.  The  trader  must  be  an 
American  citizen.  He  w^as  not  allowed  to  carry  with 
him  any  insignia  of  a  foreign  power.  An  invoice  of 
his  goods  was  presented  to  the  agent,  who  had  to 
certif}^  to  its  correctness.  Liquor  was  prohibited, 
and  the  trader  was  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  all 
the  members  of  his  party  in  this  matter.  To  guar- 
antee the  fulfillment  of  all  these  requirements,  bond 
had  to  be  given  at  the  time  of  obtaining  the  per- 
mit.'" 

To  examine  all  the  applicants,  to  keep  in  touch 
with  them  in  the  field,  and  to  obtain  the  truth  in  re- 
gai'd  to  their  conduct  was  enough  to  keep  both  agent 
and  officers  at  Fort  Snelling  busy.  In  182fi  twenty- 
five  licenses  w^ere  granted;  in  1827,  eleven;  in  1830, 
thirteen;  and  in  1831,  fourteen.'^*  The  amount  of 
this  trade  was  verv  large,  as  is  indicated  bv  the  case 
of  Mr.  Faribault  who  ti'aded  on  the  Cannon  River. 
One  year  he  marketed  50  buffalo-robes,  39,080  musk- 
lats,  2050  pounds  of  deer  skins,  125  pounds  of  bea- 
ver, 130  martin,  1100  mink,  663  raccoons,  331  otter, 
25  lynx,  and  5  foxes. ^"^ 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  vagueness  as  to  the  ap- 
plication of  the  trade  laws — '*a  mist  of  uncertainty" 
as  Taliafei-ro  called  it.''""     Governor  Cass  of  ]\Iicli- 


138  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

igan  Territory  allowed  foreigners  to  enter  into  ex- 
peditions as  interpreters  or  boatmen,  who  upon 
entering  the  wilderness  took  active  charge  of  the 
crew  and  all  operations."''  As  far  as  Fort  Snelling 
was  concerned  there  was  little  call  for  the  ejection 
of  foreigners  by  force.  In  1833  it  was  rumored  that 
a  foreigner  was  trading  on  the  Sheyenne  River  —  a 
tributary  of  the  Red  River.  But  with  the  despatch 
of  a  company  of  troops  and  the  rumor  of  their  ap- 
proach, the  culprit  immediately  decamped."" 

The  building  of  the  fort  w^as  in  itself  enough  to 
impress  British  subjects  w^ith  the  firmness  of  the 
United  States  government.  Joseph  Renville,  Ken- 
neth McKenzie,  and  William  Laidlaw,  former  em- 
ployees of  the  English  companies,  in  1822  organized 
the  Columbia  Fur  Company,  and  obtained  a  license 
from  Major  Taliaferro.  In  five  years  they  had  posts 
from  Green  Bay  to  the  Missouri  River,  w^ith  their 
headquarters  at  Land's  End,  a  short  distance  up  the 
Minnesota  River  from  Fort  Snelling.  But  in  1827  a 
union  with  the  American  Fur  Company  was  brought 
about. ^'^ 

Traders  licensed  by  the  agent  at  Fort  Snelling 
covered  the  territory  as  far  west  as  the  Missouri 
River.  No  post  could  be  established  without  his  ap- 
proval ;  and  he  even  attempted  to  regulate  the  form 
in  which  the  establishment  should  be  built."*  On 
the  whole,  cooperation  between  the  factors  of  the  fur 
companies  and  the  officials  at  the  post  was  desired 
by  both  parties.  The  most  notable  disagreement  is 
that  which  existed  between  Alexis  Bailly,  the  chief 


THE  FUR  TRADE  139 

factor  at  Mendota,  and  Major  Taliaferro.  This  dis- 
agreement continued  until  September  15,  1834,  when 
the  agent  reported  that  he  had  refused  to  allow 
Bailly  to  hold  further  intercourse  with  the  natives, 
''not  only  in  Consequence  of  his  bad  tongue,  but  on 
account  also  of  his  frequent  Violations  of  the  inter- 
course laws ' '.  In  this  action  he  was  seconded  by  the 
authorities  of  the  fur  company,  who  sent  Mr.  H.  H. 
Sibley  to  fill  Mr.  Bailly 's  place."' ^  The  pleasant  rela- 
tions which  existed  between  Mr,  Sibley  and  all  the 
government  officials  —  civil  and  military  —  is  one  of 
the  charming  chapters  in  the  history  of  the  fort.^^® 

Intimately  connected  with  the  fur  trade  was  the 
liquor  traffic.  Not  that  the  traders  were  always  re- 
sponsible for  the  introduction  of  the  tabooed  com- 
modity, but  they  were  connected  with  it  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  always  under  suspicion.  Nor  was  the 
attitude  of  the  government  consistent.  When  Pike 
ascended  the  Mississippi  he  spoke  of  the  evil  effects 
of  rum  to  the  chiefs  who  ceded  to  the  United  States 
the  military  reservation;  but  the  explorer  closed 
with  the  words:  ''before  my  departure  I  will  ,give 
you  some  liquor  to  clear  your  throats."""'  Even 
Taliaferro,  foe  that  he  was  of  liquor,  knew  its  power. 
When  a  neighboring  chief  and  thirty  of  his  men  vis- 
ited the  agency,  he  recorded:  "After  council  — 
gave  him  30  Rats  Bread  — 50  Rats  Pork  — 10  lbs 
Tobacco  —  3  gallons  of  whiskey  —  the  last  for  good 
Conduct  towards  the  Chippeways.""® 

Tjif[uor  was  an  important  asset  in  carrying  on  the 
fur  trade.     The  object  was  to  please  the  red  man, 


140  OLD  FORT  SNELLIXG 

not  to  stupefy  liim  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  be 
swindled.  With  the  growth  of  the  great  companies 
and  the  influx  of  numbers  of  private  traders  there 
were  many  bidders  for  each  Indian's  furs.  Com- 
plaint was  continual  that  the  British  traders  about 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods  successfully  offered  whiskey 
as  an  inducement  to  get  the  trade  of  the  American 
Indians. ^'^  Governor  Cass,  thinking  it  would  be 
worse  to  lose  the  trade  than  admit  the  liquor,  allowed 
its  introduction,  in  "limited  quantities",  by  those 
engaged  in  business  along  the  boundary.^^"  But  the 
act  of  July  9,  1832,  provided,  that ' '  no  ardent  spirits 
shall  be  hereafter  introduced,  under  any  pretence, 
into  the  Indian  country. ' '  ^^^  This  put  an  end  to  the 
stock  excuse.  At  the  same  time  Americans  suffered 
to  such  an  extent  that  Mr.  Norman  W.  Kittson  at 
Pembina  wanted  permission  to  destroy  all  liquor  and 
punish  all  offenders,  promising  "that  very  little 
would  be  introduced  after  a  short  time".^^^  So  acute 
was  the  difficulty  that  it  became  the  subject  of  diplo- 
matic correspondence  with  Great  Britain ;  but  the 
authorities  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  retorted 
that  "spirits  are  even  clandestinely  introduced  into 
the  Company's  territories  by  citizens  of  the  United 
States.  "^^^ 

During  the  first  years  stringent  measures  were  in 
force  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  Eiver.  At 
Prairie  du  Chien,  Taliaferro  had  seen  the  barrels 
rolled  out  from  the  river  vessels  and  they  foretold  to 
him  coming  murders  and  depredations.  His  cooper- 
ating friend.  Colonel  Snelling,  graphically  descrilied 


THE  FUR  TRADE  141 

its  evil  effects.  "Herds  of  Indians",  he  said,  "are 
drawn  together  by  tlie  fascinations  of  whisky,  and 
they  exhibit  the  most  degraded  picture  of  human 
nature  I  ever  witnessed."^'**  The  drunken  Indian 
did  not  molest  the  trader ;  his  peaceful  fellow-tribes- 
man suffered  more.  "An  Indian  killed  at  Al  [?] 
Faribault's  Trading  house  —  whiskey  was  given  the 
Indian  for  his  furs  —  by  Mr.  F.  —  The  deceased  then 
invited  one  of  his  friends  to  drink  with  him  —  the 
invitation  was  accepted- — -when  this  friend  becoming 
inflamed  with  the  Liquor  very  inhospitably  sunk  his 
Tomahawk  into  the  head  of  his  host  —  whiskey  it  is 
said  does  no  harm  in  the  Trade  by  persons  inter- 
ested— 'but  the  foregoing  is  only  one  of  the  many 
hundred  fatal  occurrences  from  its  use  in  procuring 
furs  unlawfully. ' '  '®^ 

In  fact,  the  Indians  were  continually  agitated.  If 
they  received  the  spirits  they  naturally  revelled. 
When  their  supply  was  exhausted  they  raged  and 
fumed  until  they  secured  more.  Sometimes  the  dis- 
ease was  more  desirable  than  the  cure.  "I  have 
thus  far  seen  but  few  of  the  Indians  of  this  place  and 
I  am  in  hopes  of  passing  on  North  without  much 
trouble  there  has  just  arrived  a  fresh  supply  of 
whiskey  which  will  keep  them  busy  for  a  few  days 
and  by  that  time  my  carts  will  be  almost  out  of  their 
reach.  "^*® 

The  eagerness  for  liquor  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
made  its  introduction  .mII  llic  more  easy.  Foi-  it  they 
were  willing  to  pay  much:  eight  hoi'ses  wei'c  at  one 
time  exchanged  for  eight  kegs  of  whiskey,^^'  and  the 


142  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

current  rate  at  which  it  sold  is  indicated  by  the  com- 
plaint which  a  Chippewa  chief  poured  into  the  ears 
of  the  agent:  ''My  Father  —  Is  it  right  for  our 
traders  to  make  us  pay  200  Musk  Eats,  and  3  otters 
for  a  3  gallon  keg  of  mixed  whiskey?"^*®  They 
would  undergo  extreme  ph}' sical  suffering,  lying  out 
in  the  rain  and  wading  rivers  and  swamps,  to  hring 
the  precious  liquid  to  their  villages. ^®^ 

The  officers  were  never  successful  in  entirely  ban- 
ishing the  prohibited  article.  Conditions  depended 
upon  the  eagerness  of  the  military  and  civil  agents, 
on  the  number  of  soldiers  stationed  at  the  fort,  and 
on  the  wiliness  of  the  culprits.  On  one  occasion 
liquor  ' '  was  found  secreted  in  barrels  of  corn,  buried 
on  the  beach  and  in  other  secret  places,  and  de- 
stroyed."'°° 

Major  Taliaferro  was  not  lax  in  enforcing  the 
laws.  Every  boat  passing  Fort  Snelling  was 
searched,  and  no  liquor  was  allowed  to  enter  the 
Indian  country.^^^  A  few  stray  references  seem  to 
indicate  what  was  a  usual  occupation  of  the  troops. 
' '  The  Sub  Agent  Mr.  Grooms  left  with  10  men  on  his 
2d  expedition  below  Lake  Pepin  in  quest  of  whiskey 
Smuglers  —  as  our  Indians  even  entering  the  coun- 
try with  it  from  Prairie  du  Chiens  and  the  Traders 
of  the  Am  Fur  Cpy  are  geting  whiskey  over  the 
country  by  land  and  water  ".^^^  During  May,  1827, 
the  agent  called  the  attention  of  Colonel  Josiah 
Snelling  to  the  fact  that  in  Mr.  Bailly's  store  at  Men- 
dota  there  was  whiskey  which  had  been  introduced 
into  the  Indian  countrv  contrarv  to  law.     Accord- 


THE  FUR  TRADE  143 

ingly  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  J.  B.  F.  Rupel,  who  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  two  barrels  which  were  taken  away 
and  stored  in  the  fort.^^^ 

The  year  1832  saw  especial  activity  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  liquor.  The  boat  of  one  trader  passed  up  the 
Mississippi  during  April,  having  on  board  eighteen 
barrels  of  whiskey.^"^  Later  in  the  season  the  vig- 
ilance of  the  officers  had  direct  results.  In  July 
eleven  kegs  of  high  ^\dnes,  very  strong  in  quality,  and 
in  quantity  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  ten  gal- 
lons, were  taken  from  the  boat  of  Hazen  Moores  by 
Captain  J.  Vail.  The  value  of  this  liquor  was  $330. 
Li  October  of  the  same  year,  five  kegs  of  high  wines 
and  one  keg  of  whiskey  were  found  by  Lieutenant 
I.  K.  Greenough  in  the  boat  of  Louis  Provencalle. 
These  confiscated  kegs  were  stored  in  the  fort,  and 
an  interesting  side-light  on  their  ultimate  fate  is 
contained  in  the  report  of  Major  Taliaferro  "I  am 
of  opinion",  he  wrote,  ''from  what  I  hear  that  the 
High  Wines,  and  Whiskey  Seized  by  Lieuts  Vail  and 
Greenough,  and  in  Store  here  will  soon  be  of  little 
account  in  Consequence  of  loss  by  leakage,  and  the 
property  Not  in  charge  of  any  responsible  person  — 
Other  than  its  mere  deposite  in  the  public  store." 
Whether  any  efforts  were  made  to  stop  the  leaks  is 
not  mentioned. ^"^ 

These  energetic  movements  caused  ''consternation 
among  those  natives  who  have  not  yet  joined  the 
temperance  Societties".^°"  But  they  also  caused  vio- 
lent opposition,  fi'om  the  men  whose  goods  liad  been 


144  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

seized.  These  traders  commenced  a  suit  in  the 
courts  at  Prairie  du  Chien  against  the  commanding 
officer  at  Fort  Snelling,  arguing  that  while  the  law 
prohibited  the  introduction  of  liquor  into  the  Indian 
country,  this  seizure  had  been  made  on  the  Missis- 
sippi River  —  "a  common  highway  open  to  all  the 
Citizens  of  the  United  States".^" 

It  is  impossible  to  follow  the  course  of  the  whiskey 
traffic  through  its  ups  and  downs.  Numerous  cases 
are  recorded  where  the  soldiers  ''knocked  in  the 
head"  the  whiskey  barrels. ^^^  But  it  was  probably 
true,  as  the  missionary  S.  R.  Riggs  wrote  from  Lac 
qui  Parle  on  June  15,  1847,  to  the  Indian  agent: 
"The  wdiiskey  destroyed  by  the  efforts  of  yourself 
and  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Snelling  forms 
the  glorious  exception,  and  not  the  rule."^^^ 

Under  the  regulations  existing  in  1830  the  traders 
were  allowed  to  take  with  them  into  the  Indian  coun- 
try one  gallon  per  month  for  every  person  engaged 
in  the  party.  Under  plea  of  this  they  brought  in 
high  wines  which  were  later  diluted  with  water  and 
distributed  among  the  Indians.  Of  the  amount 
brought  in,  the  employees  actually  saw  only  one- 
third,  and  this  they  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  from  eight 
to  sixteen  dollars  per  gallon.*""  Accordingly,  Major 
Taliaferro  issued  a  circular  letter  in  which  he  stated 
that  high  wines  and  whiskey  would  be  allowed  to  be 
brought  in  "in  no  case  whatever".*"^  Actions  such 
as  these  by  the  agent,  who  was  still  a  young  man, 
brought  about  the  remark  which  Mr.  Aitkin,  a  trader 
among  the  Chippewas,  is  reported  to  have  made  to 


THE  FUR  TRADE  145 

some  chiefs:  ''The  Medals  and  Flags  which  you 
received  at  St  Peters  are  nothing  more  than  pewter 
and  dish  rags,  and  were  given  to  you  by  a  boy,  and 
with  a  boys  paw. ' '  ^"^ 

Much  of  the  good  which  should  have  resulted  from 
the  activities  of  the  officers  was  lost  because  the 
Indian  could  not  be  punished.  If  liquor  was  found 
in  his  possession  and  seized  there  was  nothing  to 
prevent  his  going  back  and  obtaining  more,  taking 
the  chance  of  being  more  successful  in  evading  the 
authorities  the  second  time.^''^  Accordingly  preven- 
tion as  well  as  cure  was  tried,  and  Captain  Eastman, 
Mr.  Sibley,  and  others  sought,  with  some  success,  to 
persuade  the  Indians  to  refuse  to  accept  liquor.^"* 
Two  years  later  the  Indian  agent,  R.  G.  Murphy, 
organized  a  temperance  society  among  the  Sioux, 
who,  an  observer  stated,  were  careful  in  living  up  to 
the  pledge  when  once  taken;  and  added,  "One  such 
man  as  Major  Murphy  does  more  real,  practical 
good  than  all  the  missionary'  societies  of  New  York 
and  Boston.  "*°' 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS 

Since  the  days  of  Father  Marquette  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  has  owed  much  to  the  missionaries. 
Parkman  has  recounted  their  sufferings  and  their 
glorious  achievements  in  discovery,  in  exploration, 
and  in  inspiring  others  with  their  stories  of  the  won- 
derful West.  But  when  the  black-robed  Jesuit 
departed,  and  mass  was  no  longer  said  in  the  log 
chapels  about  the  lakes  and  tributary  streams,  the 
influence  of  Christianity  still  abided.  There  came  a 
new  generation  of  soldiers  of  the  cross  who  served 
the  great  valley  in  a  later  stage  of  development  as 
unselfishly  and  as  thoroughly  as  their  predecessors 
had  done  in  the  earlier  days. 

The  Indian  in  the  Northwest  in  1830  was  not  unac- 
quainted with  or  hostile  to  the  whites;  he  did  not 
fall  down  in  awe  to  worship  one  of  a  different  color. 
His  grandfather  had  traded  with  the  wandering- 
traveller  who  often  lived  a  whole  winter  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  with  his  tribe  had  visited  the  great  com- 
mercial center  at  Mackinac.  His  father  remembered 
the  day  when  the  second  class  of  strangers  entered  — 
the  uniformed  soldiers  led  by  Pike  —  and  now  the 
sound  of  the  big  gun  in  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Minnesota  was  no  longer  a  dread  portent. 

146 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  147 

But  the  missionary  was  a  novelty.  His  purpose 
was  unknown.  He  did  not  ask  for  furs ;  he  did  not 
stealthily  give  them  whiskey;  he  did  not  come  to 
summon  them  to  councils  at  the  agent's  house;  and 
he  did  not  ask  for  cessions  of  land.  If  they  would 
respect  the  white  man's  "medicine  day"^°''  and  let 
their  boys  and  girls  attend  the  school,  if  they  would 
listen  patiently  while  he  talked  to  them  of  things 
they  did  not  understand,  this  newcomer  was  content. 
Out  in  the  woods  he  cleared  a  patch  of  ground  and 
grew  corn.  If  the  red  men  wanted  to  help  he  was 
very  glad.  When  the  winter  storms  came,  and  game 
was  scarce,  and  the  small  supply  of  corn  that  the 
squaws  had  safely  cached  in  the  fall  was  eaten,  then 
the  missionary  helped  them  in  their  difficulty.  He 
often  went  with  them  on  their  hunts,  shared  all  their 
privations,  and  eased  their  pain  if  accident  or  sick- 
ness befell  them.  As  the  activities  of  the  mission 
broadened  and  its  personnel  enlarged,  the  Indian 
became  more  and  more  acquainted  with  whites  who 
lived  on  farms  and  tilled  the  soil.  So  when  at  last 
the  land  was  opened  to  settlement,  the  transition 
from  tlie  missionary's  establishment  to  that  of  the 
American  farmer  was  not  sudden. 

Much  has  been  written  of  the  degeneration  which 
came  to  the  Indians  about  a  fort  through  their  asso- 
ciation witli  the  soldiers.  That  such  degenei'ation 
did  result  is  true,  but  it  came  about  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  of  the  officers.  ()]\  the  other  hand,  distinct 
steps  were  taken  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
neighboring  tri])es;  and  although  these  efforts  were 


148  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

soon  transferred  to  the  missionaries,  yet  these  mis- 
sionaries depended  so  much  on  support  and  encour- 
agement from  the  soldiers  that  their  enterprises  may 
be  considered  as  part  of  the  history  of  Fort  Snelling. 
The  freedom  from  annoyance  enjoyed  by  the  mis- 
sionaries living  near  the  fort  as  compared  with  those 
at  a  distance  indicates  the  influence  of  the  post.'*°^ 

Soon  after  Fort  Snelling  was  established,  Talia- 
ferro attempted  to  persuade  some  Indians  to  under- 
take farming  in  order  to  supplement  their  hunting. 
But  they  preferred  leaving  this  work  to  the  rather 
desultory  efforts  of  the  squaws.  One  chief,  how- 
ever, remembered  the  advice  during  the  next  winter. 
Far  out  on  the  plains  that  border  on  the  Missouri 
River  he  and  his  party  were  overtaken  by  a  blizzard. 
Each  one  wrapped  himself  in  his  l)lanket  and  let  the 
snow  drift  about  and  over  him.  With  a  little  dried 
buffalo  meat  which  they  divided  among  them,  they 
kept  alive  until  the  storm  was  over.  While  lying 
here,  knowing  not  whether  his  companions  were 
dead  or  alive,  expecting  himself  to  be  a  victim  of 
either  the  cold  or  hunger  or  both.  Chief  Cloud  Man 
resolved  that  if  he  ever  returned  to  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Snelling  he  would  not  depend  entirely  upon  the 
hunt  for  his  living,  but  would  also  engage  in  farming 
under  the  direction  of  the  Indian  agent.  This  was 
no  mere  death-bed  conversion.  Many  of  his  com- 
panions refused  to  follow  him  in  the  movement; 
other  chiefs  openly  opposed  him;  but  in  the  spring 
eight  Indians  settled  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Cal- 
houn to  begin  the  life  of  agriculturists.     This  com- 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  149 

munity  was  named  Eatoiiville  in  honor  of  Secretary 
of  War  John  H.  Eaton.^°« 

On  September  1,  1829,  there  arrived  at  the  fort, 
the  Reverend  Alvan  Coe  and  the  Reverend  Jedediah 
I.  Stevens,  two  missionaries  on  a  reUgious  exploring 
expedition  to  locate  a  site  for  an  establishment. 
They  bore  with  them  letters  of  introduction  from 
Joseph  M.  Street,  the  agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  who 
commended  them  to  Taliaferro's  care  with  a  con- 
vincing array  of  scriptural  quotations.*'*^  The  agent 
offered  them  the  use  of  the  buildings  connected  with 
the  grist  mill  and  the  saw  mill  at  the  Falls  and  his 
own  colony  at  Eatonville.  After  preaching  a  few 
times  to  the  garrison,  the  ministers  left.  It  was  not 
until  1835  that  Mr.  Stevens  located  permanently  near 
the  post.*''' 

Major  Taliaferro  was  left  alone  to  carry  on  the 
difficult  enterprise  of  civilizing  the  natives.  In  1830 
he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  War  telling  of  the  prog- 
ress he  had  made  and  of  his  plans  for  a  log  village 
in  which  the  Indians  could  live,  instead  of  in  the 
flimsy  bark  houses,  and  a  log  house  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Indians'  property.  He  begged  for  finan- 
cial aid,  saying  that  "Six  or  eight  hundred  dollars 
would  mature  what  has  happily  been  begun,  and  this 
sum  from  the  Civilization  fund  would  enable  me  to 
progress  with  great  efficiency,  and  without  further 
tax  on  the  Government." *''  The  need  for  his  super- 
vision was  constant.  From  his  diary  can  be  seen 
how  continual  was  liis  interest  in  the  experiment. 
On  April  18,  1831,  In-  ordered  the  hoes  and  plows 


150  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

repaired,  and  on  May  1  he  went  to  the  colony  taking 
the  implements  with  him.  Here  he  found  ''most  of 
them  at  work  —  Cuting  down  trees,  Grubbing  out  the 
roots  &c  —  What  was  more  encouraging  some  few  of 
the  Men  were  at  this  unusual  kind  of  labour  for 
them  —  they  laughed  wiien  they  saw  Me  —  I  praised 
them,  in  every  agreable  way  that  could  be  conveyed 
to  them  in  their  language."  Again  on  June  8th  he 
was  pleased  to  see  the  Indians  all  at  work  hoeing 
their  corn  and  potatoes. ^^^ 

The  success  of  the  colony  was  gratifying.  In  1833 
they  raised  from  eight  hundred  to  a  thousand 
bushels  of  corn,  and  the  population  of  the  village 
w^as  one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  Only  one  death 
had  occurred  in  three  years. *'^  There  was  much  to 
contend  with,  however,  since  the  traders  were  "vio- 
lently opposed  to  Indians  commencing  to  seek  a  liv- 
ing in  this  way."*^*  One  trader  stated  that  it  was  a 
loss  to  him  of  five  hundred  dollars  whenever  an  In- 
dian learned  to  read  and  write.*^^ 

With  all  his  duties  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  agent 
was  anxious  to  receive  the  help  of  the  missionaries, 
and  although  he  was  himself  ' '  a  Deacon  in  the  '  Old 
School  Presbyterian  Church'  ","°  his  basis  for  aid- 
ing the  red  men,  as  he  expressed  it  in  a  report,  was 
that  he  had  "endeavored  to  impress  all  missionaries 
with  the  true  fact  that  Christianity  must  be  preceded 
by  civilization  among  the  wild  tribes.  I  hazard 
nothing  in  this,  for  an  Indian  must  be  taught  all  the 
temporal  benefits  of  this  life  first,  before  you  ask 
him  to  seek  for  eternal  happiness ;  teach  him  to  wor- 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  151 

ship  the  true  and  living  God  through  the  self-evident 
developments  of  his  mother  earth.  In  fine,  let  agri- 
culture and  the  arts  precede  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  after  which,  Christianity  inculcate  if  prac- 
ticable."'^' 

The  men  who  were  to  be  Taliaferro's  first  helpers 
were  living  in  the  little  village  of  Washington,  Con- 
necticut—  two  brothers,  one  twenty-three  years  old 
and  the  other  twenty-one.  Here  a  great  revival  oc- 
curred and  among  those  whose  lives  were  changed 
were  Samuel  Pond  and  Gideon  Pond.  The  next 
year  the  older  of  the  two  went  to  the  West  and 
drifted  into  the  frontier  town  of  Galena.  Hearing 
from  a  traveller  from  Red  River  of  the  Sioux  about 
Fort  Snelling  he  decided  to  dedicate  his  life  to  up- 
lifting them.  Upon  broaching  the  subject  to  his 
brother  the  latter  agreed,  and  on  May  1,  1834,  they 
left  Galena  on  the  ** Warrior".  No  missionary  soci- 
ety was  supporting  them ;  they  had  only  a  little 
money;  they  did  not  know  a  word  of  the  '^ Dakota" 
tongue ;  they  were  uneducated  for  missionary  work. 
Living  the  roving  life  of  the  Indians  as  members  of 
the  tribe,  they  hoped  to  ])e  able  to  gradually  influence 
their  lives  and  religion."* 

On  May  6,  1834,  the  '' Warrior"  reached  Fort 
Snelling.  At  the  agency  house,  Mr.  Grooms,  who  was 
the  acting  agent  in  the  absence  of  Major  Taliaferro, 
rented  them  a  room.  Major  Bliss,  then  in  command 
at  the  fort,  immediately  summoned  them  to  appear 
before  him  and  explain  their  presence  in  the  Indian 
country  without  permission.'*"'     When  he  heard  of 


152  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

their  plans,  they  fitted  immediately  into  a  problem 
that  had  been  puzzling  him.  Big  Thunder,  chief  of 
the  Kaposia  village,  wanted  to  raise  more  corn.  But 
by  using  the  customary  Indian  method  of  hoeing  up 
the  ground  before  planting,  it  was  impossible  to  get 
much  land  under  cultivation.  At  Fort  Snelling  were 
oxen  and  a  plow,  but  there  was  no  one  to  do  the  plow- 
ing or  teach  the  art  to  the  Indians.  Accordingly 
Samuel  Pond  volunteered  to  take  charge  of  the  prop- 
osition. 

The  plow  was  taken  down  the  river  in  a  canoe, 
while  the  oxen  were  driven  by  land.  But  the  war- 
riors were  reluctant  about  touching  the  plow  until 
Big  Thunder,  chief  of  the  band,  had  seized  the  han- 
dles himself.  For  a  week  Samuel  Pond  continued 
the  work.  But  the  dogs  had  stolen  the  provisions  he 
had  taken  from  the  fort,  and  so  he  was  obliged  not 
only  to  sleep  in  the  Indian  tepee,  but  also  to  live 
upon  the  ordinary  Indian  fare.*"'' 

This  task  of  plowing  had  just  been  performed 
when  Major  Taliaferro  returned  from  the  East. 
The  success  of  the  work  done  by  Big  Thunder  led 
him  to  ask  the  Ponds  to  take  charge  of  the  Eaton- 
ville  colony.  As  this  would  give  them  an  opportu- 
nity of  carrying  out  their  plans,  the  brothers  ac- 
cepted. Their  position  is  indicated  by  the  following 
entry  in  Taliaferro's  diary :  ^'I  am  to  furnish  out  of 
my  private  funds  —  Hay  for  the  Oxen  —  belonging  to 
the  Indians,  &  these  young  men  are  to  have  Charge 
of  them  for  the  Winter  —  They  will  plough  some  this 
fall  and  again  in  the  Spring  for  the  Indians,  &  go  on 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  .       153 

thereafter  to  instruct  them  in  the  arts  &  habits  of 
civilized  life. ' '  *'^^ 

Cloud  Man,  chief  of  the  Calhoun  band  of  Indians, 
chose  a  site  near  the  lake,  where  a  cabin  was  erected 
which  cost  a  shilling  —  for  nails.  The  walls  were  of 
tamarack  logs  from  a  neighboring  grove;  slabs  ob- 
tained at  the  mill  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  fur- 
nished a  roof;  and  Major  Taliaferro  presented  the 
missionaries  with  a  window.  Major  Bliss  gave 
them  some  potatoes,  and  Mrs.  Bliss  presented  them 
with  a  ham.  Knowing  the  thievishness  of  the  na- 
tives, the  Indian  agent  also  added  a  padlock  to  the 
newly-finished  cabin. *^- 

Near  the  house  about  four  acres  of  land  were 
cleared  and  fenced  with  logs.  A  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant  was  the  Indian  village  of  fourteen  bark 
lodges,  each  containing  two  or  three  families.  This 
village  was  surrounded  by  corn  fields  and  was 
reached  through  a  narrow  lane  made  by  putting  up 
posts  and  tying  poles  to  them  with  strips  of  bark.*-'* 
According  to  Featherstonhaugh,  who  visited  the 
establishment  a  year  later,  thirty  acres  were  under 
cultivation  and  the  yield  of  corn  amounted  to  eight 
hundred  bushels.  It  is  intei-esting  to  note  that  tliis 
critical  traveller  found  only  one  thing  about  Fort 
Snelling  to  commend  and  that  was  the  self-sacrifice 
of  the  two  Pond  brothers.*^* 

They  entered  immediately  into  the  life  of  the  In- 
dians. An  extract  from  a  letter  \vi-itt(Mi  by  one  ol* 
the  brothers  shows  the  wide  variety  of  llx'ir  (liitlcs. 
"One  Indian,"  he  said,  "has  been  hei-c  to  bori-ow  my 


154  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

axe,  another  to  have  me  help  him  split  a  stick;  an- 
other now  interrupts  me  to  borrow  my  hatchet; 
another  has  been  here  after  a  trap  which  he  left  with 
me ;  another  is  now  before  my  window  at  work  with 
his  axe,  while  the  women  and  children  are  screaming 
to  drive  the  black-birds  from  their  corn.  Again  I 
am  interrupted  by  one  who  tells  me  that  the  Indians 
are  going  to  play  ball  near  our  house  to-day.  Hun- 
dreds assemble  on  such  occasions."*"^ 

The  work  that  was  thus  started  soon  expanded. 
In  the  spring  of  1835  Rev.  Thomas  Smith  William- 
son arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  with  his  wife,  a  child, 
Miss  Sarah  Poage,  and  Alexander  G.  Huggins.  At 
about  the  same  time  Rev.  Jedediah  I.  Stevens  re- 
turned to  the  post  he  had  visited  in  1829,  and  with 
the  help  of  the  Pond  brothers  built  a  mission  school 
at  Lake  Harriet.  Dr.  Williamson  went  up  the  Min- 
nesota River  to  Lac  qui  Parle,  where  another  station 
was  established.  On  May  19,  1837,  Rev.  Alfred 
Brunson  came  to  Fort  Snelling  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose, and  after  consulting  with  the  agent  and  the 
commandant  he  chose  the  village  of  Kaposia  for  his 
headquarters.  But  these  mission  stations  and  their 
personnel  were  not  permanent.  The  work  of  the 
Ponds  was  soon  amalgamated  with  that  of  Mr.  Stev- 
ens. In  1839  when  the  Sioux-Chippewa  feuds  were 
at  their  height  and  the  Indians  were  afraid  to  remain 
at  Lake  Calhoun,  Mr.  Stevens  tore  down  the  little 
cabin  the  Ponds  had  built  and  used  the  material  for 
breastworks  and  moved  down  the  river  to  Wabasha 's 
village  —  outside  the  influence  of  Fort  Snelling.     At 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  155 

the  same  time  the  Ponds  moved  nearer  the  fort, 
where  they  remained  until  in  1842  they  established 
a  mission  at  Oak  Grove,  eight  miles  up  the  Minnesota 
River.  This  same  war  spirit  and  the  hostility  to  the 
missionaries  who  preached  against  it  led  to  the  aban- 
donment of  the  Kaposia  enterprise  in  1841.  In  1846, 
however.  Little  Crow  asked  for  a  school,  and  Dr. 
Williamson  came  from  Lac  qui  Parle  to  take  charge 
of  it.  These  missions  remained  in  existence  through- 
out the  period  of  Old  Fort  Snelling.^-** 

The  activities  of  the  missions  took  on  two  forms  — 
industrial  and  educational.  By  the  treaty  of  1837  a 
farmer  was  provided  for  the  Sioux  about  the  fort. 
This  position  was  offered  to  Gideon  Pond  who  in 
1838  accepted.  In  return  for  his  salary  of  six  hun- 
dred dollars  he  had  to  plow  the  cornfields,  cut  hay 
for  the  cattle  and  feed  them  during  the  winter,  and 
build  such  shelters  as  the  animals  might  need.  As 
he  could  not  do  all  this  work  alone  —  and  he  wanted 
it  thoroughly  done  —  much  of  his  salary  was  spent 
in  hiring  others  to  help  him.  His  services  were 
offered  in  the  same  spirit  of  sacrifice  which  first 
brought  him  to  the  region.*" 

Blacksmiths  were  maintained  at  some  of  the  vil- 
lages. In  1849  Ml-.  Chatel,  l)lacksmith  for  Good 
Road's  village,  made  among  other  things,  73  chains 
to  hang  kettles  on  for  cooking,  23  traps,  230  axes, 
50  rat  spears,  208  pairs  of  fish  spears,  24  pairs  of 
stirrups,  63  crooked  knives,  and  199  hoes.  During 
the  same  year.  Mi".  Robertson,  the  farmer  for  Little 
Crow's  village,  ploughed  75  acres  of  land,  made  500 


156  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

yards  of  fence,  put  up  20  tons  of  hay,  and  hauled 
corn  for  seventeen  days.  To  be  sure,  Robertson  and 
Chatel  were  not  missionaries,  but  they  were  part  of 
the  movement  for  civilizing  the  Indians  which  was 
fostered  and  encouraged  by  the  officers  of  the  fort.*^^ 
In  1837  at  Lake  Harriet  there  was  an  Indian 
boarding-school,  where  some  half  dozen  half-breed 
girls  were  learning  to  read,  write,  and  sew.*^^  The 
Pond  brothers  had  made  the  beginnings  of  an  alpha- 
bet of  the  Sioux  language,  and  books  and  primers 
for  the  use  of  the  scholars  were  soon  printed.*^"  At 
all  the  stations  surrounding  Fort  Snelling  schools 
were  maintained,  but  here  as  elsewhere  "the  chil- 
dren in  pleasant  weather  prefer  playing  to  read- 
ing".*" Some  progress  was  made,  however,  as  is 
indicated  by  the  school  reports.  In  1851  at  the 
school  maintained  at  Kaposia  it  is  reported  that 
Daniel  Renville,  Gustavus  A.  Robertson,  Rosalie 
Renville,  and  Fat  Duty  Win  can  spell  and  read  in 
English  in  McGuffy's  Eclectic  Primer,  and  can  spell 
and  read  in  the  Sioux  language  in   Woivape  Me- 

The  success  of  these  pioneer  efforts  depended 
much  on  the  encouragement  received  at  the  begin- 
ning; and  by  a  coincidence  this  encouragement  was 
brought  about  the  second  summer  that  the  Ponds 
were  in  the  vicinity.  During  the  winter  Major  Gus- 
tavus Loomis  initiated  ' '  a  red-hot  revival  among  the 
the  soldiers",  and  although  many  of  the  converts 
backslid  with  the  simultaneous  appearance  of  spring 
and  whiskey,*^^  yet  there  were  so  many  that  remained 


SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CROSS  157 

faithful  that  on  June  11,  1835,  when  Dr,  Williamson 
arrived,  a  church  was  organized  in  one  of  the  com- 
pany rooms  at  Fort  SnelHng.  This  church  was  com- 
posed of  soldiers,  missionaries,  and  fur  traders  and 
was  a  basis  of  support  in  the  difficult  task  of  civiliz- 
ing the  Indians/^*  The  officers  protected  and  en- 
couraged the  workers  under  all  circumstances,  the 
post  doctor  gave  his  services  to  them  free,  and  once 
a  month  Mr,  Stevens  preached  at  the  fort."^ 

In  1838  the  church  was  strengthened  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  chaplain.  Rev.  Ezekiel  Gear  of  Ga- 
lena. But  on  December  11,  1838,  as  he  was  leaving 
Fort  Crawford  in  a  sleigh,  the  horse  started  up 
sooner  than  was  expected  and  he  was  thrown  out, 
breaking  his  right  thigh  bone.  He  was  kept  at  the 
hospital  at  Fort  Crawford  for  some  months  and  did 
not  arrive  at  Fort  Snelling  until  April  28,  1839."" 
As  there  was  no  room  large  enough  to  hold  all  the 
soldiers,  they  were  at  first  not  compelled  to  attend 
the  services.  In  1841,  however,  the  chaplain  re- 
ported that  all  the  soldiers  attended  regularly,  but 
answered  feebly  to  the  responses,  although  the  chap- 
lain believed  they  were  attentive  to  what  was  said. 
These  movements,  which  were  undertaken  to  elevate 
the  character  of  the  soldiers,  could  not  but  have  an 
effect  upon  the  success  of  the  missionaries."' 

Under  the  protection  of  Fort  Snelling  efforts  were 
also  made  to  do  religious  work  among  the  fur  trad- 
ers. The  inhabitants  of  Mendota  were  old  voy- 
ageurs  and  traders,  French  and  half-breeds,  and 
most  of  them,  having  lived  long  wilhout  th(»  minis- 
trations of  tlic  chiirf'h,  Toiiienib('i"('(l  the  fnilli  of  Ihcir 


158  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

childhood  days  in  Canada.  When  in  1838  the  Min- 
nesota country  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  made  a 
part  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  the  Diocese  of  Du- 
buque was  extended  to  correspond  with  the  political 
area.  In  the  following  summer  Bishop  Loras  of  Du- 
buque visited  the  upper  Mississippi  and  was  enter- 
tained at  the  fort  and  l)y  the  faithful  Catholics  at 
Mendota.  These  amounted  in  number  to  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five,  fifty-six  of  whom  were  baptized, 
eight  were  confirmed,  and  four  couples  were  given 
the  nuptial  benediction.  The  need  for  permanent 
work  was  great.  Plans  were  made  to  bring  one  or 
two  Sioux  to  Dubuque  to  pass  the  winter  and  teach 
the  language  to  some  worker.  In  the  spring  of  1840 
Rev.  Lucian  Galtier  was  sent  up  to  be  the  pastor  of 
this  flock.^^'^ 

It  was  often  with  despair  that  the  missionaries 
saw  the  Indians  still  clinging  to  their  heathen  rites, 
and  the  few  additions  to  the  churches  do  not  indicate 
any  great  transformation  of  an  Indian  nation.  But 
if  the  lives  of  the  natives  were  not  elevated  by  their 
contact  with  the  whites  it  was  not  because  they  had 
no  opportunity.  The  forces  which  led  to  their  de- 
generation had  the  start  of  the  civilizing  forces,  and 
they  also  appealed  more  to  the  Indian 's  nature.  At 
the  same  time  both  romance  and  lustre  is  added  to 
the  relations  of  Old  Fort  Snelling  with  the  surround- 
ing Indians  by  the  story  of  the  attempts  of  the  men 
who  had  a  vision  of  what  Indian  life  could  be,  and 
who  unselfishlv  tried  to  make  that  vision  a  realitv, 
encouraged  and  supported  by  the  military  men  at 
the  fort. 


XI 

THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR 

George  Catlin,  whose  wanderings  in  the  West  had 
acquainted  him  with  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most 
accessible  scenic  spots  of  the  country,  urged  upon 
his  readers  the  adoption  of  a  trip  to  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony  as  the  ''Fashionable  Tour".*^^  Primitive 
life  and  unspoiled  landscapes  could  be  seen  from  the 
comfortable  decks  of  the  steamboat.  The  objective 
point  of  these  trips  was  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  but 
it  was  at  Fort  SneUing  that  the  passengers  were 
dropjied.  Only  because  of  the  necessity  of  bring- 
ing supplies  to  the  troops  at  the  post  did  the  steam- 
boats make  the  journey.  It  is  in  the  writings  of 
these  visitors  that  there  have  been  preserved  many 
pictures  of  life  in  and  about  Fort  Snelling.  More- 
over, these  visits  from  the  outside  world  brought 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  the  smaller  world  about 
the  fort. 

In  the  month  of  May,  182o,  occurred  an  event 
which  was  epochal,  not  only  in  I'egard  to  the  com- 
mercial development  of  the  Northwest,  but  also  in 
respect  to  the  growtli  of  the  upper  Mississippi  as  a 
Mecca  for  travellers.  The  steaml)oat  "Virginia", 
one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  with  a  Iwenty  foot 
beam,  commanded  by  Captain  Crawfoi'd,  left  St. 
Louis  witli  supplies  for  Fort  Snelling;  on  the  tciilli 

15!» 


160  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

of  May  it  was  received  by  the  soldiers  at  the  fort 
with  a  salute  of  cannon  and  by  the  assembled  In- 
dians with  awe  and  consternation.""  "I  know  not 
what  impression  the  first  sight  of  the  Phoenician 
vessels  might  make  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  coasts 
of  Greece,"  wrote  one  who  was  a  passenger  on  that 
eventful  voyage,  ''or  the  Triremi  of  the  Romans  on 
the  natives  of  Iberia,  Gaul,  or  Britain ;  but  I  am  sure 
it  could  not  be  stronger  than  that  which  I  saw  on  the 
countenances  of  these  savages  at  the  arrival  of  our 
steam-boat.""^ 

The  man  who  wrote  these  words  was  J.  C.  Bel- 
trami, an  Italian  refugee,  who  for  political  reasons 
had  fled  from  his  native  land.  In  1823  he  met  Major 
Taliaferro  at  Pittsburgh  and  requested  permission 
to  accompany  him  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  This 
was  granted,  and  in  company  with  the  Indian  agent 
he  arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  on  the  first  steamboat  to 
brave  the  current  of  the  upper  Mississippi.""  Here 
for  almost  two  months  he  was  entertained  by  the 
officials  at  the  post,  visiting  the  Indian  bands,  attend- 
ing their  councils,  writing  letters  to  "My  Dear 
Countess",^*''  and  conversing  with  Mrs.  Snelling  who 
alone  could  speak  French  with  him."*  He  was  on 
the  point  of  setting  out  overland  for  Council  Bluffs 
when  another  party  arrived  at  the  post. 

In  the  list  of  the  exploring  expeditions  which  trav- 
ersed the  region  about  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  by 
far  the  most  important  was  the  one  led  by  Stephen 
H.  Long  and  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the 
War  Department.     The  permanent  members  of  the 


THE  FASHIOXABLE  TOUR  161 

party  were  Major  Long  of  the  Topographical  En- 
gineers, Thomas  Say,  zoologist  and  antiquary,  Wil- 
liam H.  Keating,  mineralogist  and  geologist,  Samuel 
Seymour,  landscape  painter  and  designer,  and  James 
E.  Colhoun,  astronomer  and  assistant  topographer. 
The  start  was  made  at  Philadelphia  on  April  30, 
1823,  and  the  route  led  by  way  of  Wheeling  and  Chi- 
cago to  Fort  Crawford  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  From 
this  point  Major  Long  and  Mr.  Colhoun  travelled 
by  land  and  the  others  by  water,  the  two  parties 
arriving  at  the  fort  on  July  2nd  and  July  3rd  re- 
spectively. After  a  few  days  wait  the  journey  was 
again  resumed  late  on  the  afternoon  of  July  Oth.*^' 

In  the  meantime  much  had  been  done.  The  orders 
issued  to  Major  Long  had  authorized  him  to  call 
upon  the  commanding  officer  at  any  post  for  men, 
horses,  camp  equipage,  provisions,  boats,  clothing, 
medicines,  and  goods  to  the  value  of  three  hundred 
dollars  to  be  distributed  among  the  Indians.*'"  Bis- 
cuits were  baked  in  the  ovens  of  the  fort;  Joseph 
Renville  was  engaged  as  an  interpreter;  and  the 
detachment  of  troops  which  had  accompanied  them 
from  Prairie  du  Chien  was  exchanged  for  a  new 
guard,  consisting  of  a  sergeant,  two  corporals,  and 
eighteen  soldiers  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
St.  Clair  Denny."*^ 

But  these  preparations  did  not  j^revent  tlicni  from 
enjoying  the  scenic  views  about  Fort  Snelling.  On 
the  sixth  of  July  a  walk  was  taken  to  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony.  An  island  in  the  river  which  divided 
the  falls  into  two  parts  tempted  Mr.  Say,  Mr.  Col- 


162  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

houn,  and  Mr.  Keating'  to  cross,  the  water  being  only 
two  feet  deep.  But  the  ford  was  located  only  a  few 
feet  above  the  ledge  of  the  rock,  and  the  slippery 
footing  rendered  the  exploit  extremely  dangerous. 
When  this  had  been  safely  accomplished,  Mr.  Say 
and  Mr.  Colhoun  crossed  in  the  same  way  the  eastern 
half  of  the  falls,  while  Mr.  Keating  with  great  dif- 
ficulty returned  to  the  western  bank.  Later  when 
the  others  were  crossing  the  dangerous  passage,  they 
were  seen  to  be  in  great  difficulties  whereupon  one  of 
the  soldiers  went  out  and  aided  them  to  the  shore. 
Only  after  they  had  been  strengthened  by  a  dinner, 
prepared  by  the  old  sergeant  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  government  mills,  were  they  able  to  return  to  the 
fort.**' 

The  expedition  went  up  the  Minnesota  Eiver  to  its 
source,  then  down  the  Red  River  to  Lake  Winnipeg 
and  returned  to  the  East  by  way  of  the  fur  trader 's 
route  along  the  international  boundary  and  Lake 
Superior.  Fear  of  the  Indians  living  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Blue  Earth  River,  one  of  whose  number 
had  been  arrested  and  sent  to  St.  Louis  for  murder, 
had  suggested  the  necessity  of  the  military  escort. 
But  when  the  place  was  reached  no  trouble  resulted, 
as  the  Lidians  had  gone  on  their  summer  hunt.  Ac- 
cordingly nine  of  the  soldiers  were  sent  back  with 
canoes  —  some  of  the  supplies  having  been  destroyed 
by  accidents.  Those  who  remained  had  no  easy  task. 
There  were  only  nine  horses,  and  these  were  reserved 
for  the  officers  and  ''gentlemen"  of  the  company,  so 
that  the  privates  were  obliged  to  walk. 


449 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  163 

On  August  9th  when  the  party  left  Pemhiiia  be- 
hind, their  number  had  dwindled.  Joseph  Snelling, 
son  of  Colonel  Snelling,  who  had  gone  with  them  thus 
far,  returned  by  the  same  route  with  three  soldiers. 
J.  C.  Beltrami,  who  had  been  allowed  to  cast  his  lot 
with  theirs,  and  who  had  been  equipped  and  supplied 
by  the  Indian  agent,  who  had  presented  him  with  the 
''noble  steed  'Cadmus'  ",*'''''  also  left  them.  In  com- 
pany with  two  Chippewas  and  a  hois-hride  of  Red 
River,  he  set  out  for  the  southeast  w^ith  the  purpose 
of  there  finding  the  source  of  the  Mississippi.  Upon 
a  small  lake,  which  he  named  Lake  Julia,  he  con- 
ferred the  honor  of  being  the  head  of  the  great  river, 
while  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  "shades  of  Marco 
Polo,  of  Columbus,  of  Americus  Vespucius,  of  the 
Cabots,  of  Verazani,  of  the  Zenos,  and  various 
others,  appeared  present,  and  joyfully  assisting  at 
this  high  and  solemn  ceremony".*"  After  a  journey 
of  great  suffering  he  was  welcomed  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing—  wearing  a  hat  made  of  the  bark  of  a  tree,  and 
clothes  of  skins.*^- 

Not  until  late  in  the  fall  did  the  connection  of  Fort 
Snelling  with  this  expedition  cease,  when  the  soldiers 
who  had  accompanied  tlu*  party  as  far  as  Sault  Ste. 
Marie  returned  to  tlieir  post  by  the  Fox-Wisconsin 
route  after  a  journey  rendered  exceedingly  disagree- 
able by  the  cold.*'"'' 

In  the  summer  of  1835  George  Catlin  and  liis  wife 
spent  several  months  at  Fort  Snelling.  Mi'.  Catlin 
was  an  artist  who  made  a  specialty  of  Indian  scenes, 
niid  liis  time  Avas  occnpicd  in  painting  scenes  of  In- 


164  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

dian  life  and  portraits  of  Indian  chiefs.  His  studio 
was  a  room  in  the  officers'  quarters,  and  his  models 
were  the  natives  who  lingered  about  the  agency. 

Mr.  Catlin  was  extremely  desirous  of  painting 
some  pictures  of  Indian  dances  and  ball-plays.  In 
order  to  persuade  the  Indians  to  do  their  part, 
Lawrence  Taliaferro  told  them  on  July  3rd  that  if 
they  would  come  the  next  day  and  entertain  the  vis- 
itors, the  great  gun  at  the  fort  would  be  fired  twenty- 
one  times  for  their  amusement.  As  this  was  the 
salute  for  the  national  holiday,  he  was  safe  in  making 
the  prophecy.  Accordingly,  on  the  fourth  of  July 
the  prairie  near  the  fort,  for  two  hours,  rang  with 
the  excited  shouts  of  the  ball-players ;  and  when  this 
pastime  was  finished  the  "  beggar 's-dance",  the 
^'l)uffalo-dance",  the  "bear-dance",  the  "eagle- 
dance",  and  the  "dance-of-the-braves"  furnished 
entertainment  for  three  hours  more.*^* 

On  the  sixteenth  of  July  General  Robert  Patterson 
of  Philadelphia  with  his  sister  and  daughter  arrived 
on  the  steamboat  "Warrior".  For  their  amusement 
the  Indians  staged  the  "dog-dance",  using  for  their 
victims  two  dogs  which  were  presented  to  them  by 
the  officers  of  the  garrison.  Accompanied  by  a  sol- 
dier George  Catlin  left  for  Prairie  du  Chien  on  July 
27th.  "About  this  lovely  spot",  he  wrote,  "I  have 
whiled  away  a  few  months  with  great  pleasure,  and 
having  visited  all  the  curiosities,  and  all  the  different 
villages  of  Indians  in  the  vicinity,  I  close  my  note- 
book and  start  in  a  few  days  for  Prairie  du  Chien, 
which  is  three  hundred  miles  below  this;  where  I 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  165 

shall  have  new  subjects  for  my  brush  and  new  themes 
for  my  pen,  when  I  may  continue  my  epistles. ' '  *^^ 

In  the  thirties  began  that  series  of  geological  sur- 
veys which  has  continued  ever  since,  under  both  the 
national  and  State  governments.  In  the  fall  of  1835 
George  William  Featherstonhaugh  and  William 
Williams  Mather,  geologists  in  the  service  of  the 
government,  made  a  survey  of  the  Minnesota  Valley. 
The  detailed  scientific  report  of  the  survey  was  pub- 
lished by  the  government ;  ^^^  while  a  popular  de- 
scription of  the  trip,  written  by  Mr.  Featherston- 
haugh, appeared  in  London  in  1847  entitled,  "A 
Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor". 

From  September  12th  to  September  15th  on  the 
up-journey  and  from  October  16th  to  October  22nd 
on  the  return,  the  scientist  was  entertained  at  the 
fort.  The  reception  which  he  received  did  not  im- 
press him  with  its  cordiality.  "I  could  not  but  re- 
flect upon  the  contrast  l)etwixt  the  very  kind  atten- 
tions I  had  received  at  the  other  American  posts,  and 
the  want  of  them  I  experienced  liere."^^'  But  the 
feeling  was  mutual.  The  keen  Indian  agent  char- 
acterized him  by  saying:  "He  attempted  to  pass 
current  for  that  which  he  possessed  not  —  superior 
talent  and  modesty  in  his  profession."*'^  Mr, 
Featherstonhaugli  was  an  Englishman  in  whose  nar- 
rative American  institutions  were  not  praised. 
Even  the  presence  of  liis  American  co-laborer,  Mr. 
Mather,  is  not  suspected  by  reading  the  entertaining 
story,  for  his  name  is  not  mentioned  once. 

It  is  difficult,  tlKMeforc,  to  judge  how  accurate  the 


166  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

account  of  his  stay  at  Fort  Snelling  really  is.  The 
room  which  was  given  to  him  for  his  use  was  ' '  an  old 
dirty,    ill-smelling,    comfortless    store-room",    and 

Major  L (Loomisf)   who  was  asked  by  the 

commandant  to  provide  accommodations  for  the 
visitor  bored  him  with  his  psalm-singing  and  ex- 
hortations, being  *'a  living  rod  in  soak  to  tickle  up 
sluggish  Christians".  But,  probably  unwittingly, 
Featherstonhaugh  admitted  that  Fort  Snelling  was 
of  some  service  to  him.  For  the  supplies  and  veg- 
etables taken  from  the  post  gardens  brought  the 
gunwale  of  the  canoe  to  within  four  inches  of  the 
water !  -"'^ 

Further  exploration  of  the  upper  Mississippi  was 
made  by  Joseph  N.  Nicollet  during  the  summer  of 
the  next  year.  This  French  scientist  was  aided  in 
part  by  the  War  Department,  and  in  part  by  the  fur 
traders,  P.  Chouteau,  Jr.,  &  Co.,  of  St.  Louis.*®" 
"While  at  Fort  Snelling  he  determined  to  visit  the 
sources  of  the  great  river,  and  in  his  enterprises  he 
was  greatly  assisted  by  Lawrence  Taliaferro,  H.  H. 
Sibley,  and  the  officers  at  the  fort.  Some  of  the 
soldiers  washed  to  accompany  him,  but  the  absence 
of  many  of  the  garrison  at  Prairie  du  Chien  made 
their  presence  at  the  post  necessary.  Some  Chip- 
pewa Indians,  some  half-breeds,  and  a  Frenchman, 
Desire  Fronchet,  were  his  only  companions  when  the 
ascent  of  the  river  was  commenced.  But  at  the  first 
stopping  place,  near  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  a  band 
of  thie^^ng  Sioux  robbed  him  of  many  of  his  sup- 
plies, and  the  attempt  would  have  been  given  up  had 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  167 

not  Major  Taliaferro  made  good  the  loss  from  his 
own  means.**^^  Nicollet  visited  Lake  Itasca  and  in- 
dicated its  principal  tributary,  so  that  some  authors 
have  credited  him  with  being  the  discoverer  of  the 
true  source  of  the  Mississippi. ^*'- 

After  the  return  from  this  perilous  journey,  the 
winter  was  spent  at  Fort  Snelling  in  working  over 
the  notes  and  a  map.  For  the  kindness  shown  him 
Mr.  Xicollet  expressed  great  appreciation,  thougli 
the  rude  hospitality  of  the  frontier  post  could  pro- 
vide no  supper  better  than  wild  rice,  mush,  and  milk, 
and  no  sleeping  quarters  better  than  the  storehouse. 
But  here  he  was  entertained,  as  the  agent  wrote,  in 
Virginia  fashion  where  a  call  lasts  six  months  and  a 
visit  one  vear ;  and  the  nights  were  made  merrv  with 
the  music  of  the  violin  and  piano,  and  with  the  ani- 
mated conversation  of  Taliaferro  and  Nicollet.  For 
many  hours  on  cold  winter  nights  he  studied  through 
liis  telescope  the  stars  in  the  clear  heavens.*"'^ 

Mr.  Nicollet  devoted  two  more  seasons  to  examin- 
ing the  country  between  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri 
rivers  in  companj^  with  John  C.  Fremont.  In  1838 
a  trip  was  made  from  Fort  Snelling  to  the  pipestone 
quarry;  and  in  1839  his  party  ascended  the  Missouri 
River  to  Fort  Pierre,  and  tlien  passed  over  the 
prairies  to  the  Mississippi.^"*  The  accounts  of  these 
journeys  were  widely  read,  and  coming  from  the  pen 
of  such  an  able  scientist  and  pleasing  writer,  the  in- 
terest of  the  country  was  turned  to  tlie  rich  possibil- 
ities of  this  new  Northwest.*"'^' 

In  addition  to  these  well-known  travellers  there 


168  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

was  a  host  of  people  who  made  the  trip  as  a  vacation 
jaunt.  On  June  1,  1836,  the  "Pahnyra"  arrived 
with  thirty  passengers.  The  steamboat  "Burling- 
ton" tied  up  at  Fort  Snelling  on  June  13,  1838,  hav- 
ing among  its  many  passengers  Captain  Frederick 
Marryat,  the  popular  English  novelist.  Only  two 
days  later  the  "Brazil"  was  moored  near  the  "Bur- 
lington", the  presence  of  two  boats  at  the  same  time 
being  considered  a  novel  sight.  The  family  of  Gov- 
ernor Henry  Dodge  was  on  this  second  boat.*'^''' 

On  June  26,  1838,  the  "Burlington"  was  again  at 
Fort  Snelling.  Among  the  tourists  on  this  trip  was 
Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton  who  had  embarked  at  Ga- 
lena where  she  had  been  visiting  her  son,  W.  S. 
Hamilton,  who  w^as  connected  with  lead  mining  en- 
terprises in  Wisconsin.  The  fact  that  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton had  been  a  belle  in  society  during  the  time  of 
George  Washington,  and  the  general  sympathy  felt 
for  her  ever  since  the  tragic  death  of  her  husband  in 
1804,  caused  her  to  be  received  with  more  attention 
than  was  usually  bestowed  on  tourists.  At  nine 
o'clock  she  was  taken  in  a  carriage  to  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony,  and  when  she  returned  to  the  fort  in 
the  afternoon  the  officers  met  her  at  the  gate  and  led 
her  to  a  chair  placed  upon  a  carpet  in  the  center 
of  the  parade  ground.  After  the  troops  had  been 
reviewed  she  was  entertained  at  the  headquarters 
of  the  fort  until  the  "Burlington"  left  that  same 


evening.*"^ 


The  extent  of  this  tourist  traffic  is  well  illustrated 
in  the  newspapers  of  the  time.     Advertisements  tell 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  169 

of  the  interesting  features  to  be  seen  on  a  trip  to  the 
upper  Mississippi,  of  the  pleasures  of  steamboat 
travel,  and  promise  that  **A  first  rate  band  of  music 
will  be  on  board." ^"^^  An  editor  paused  long  enough 
in  the  exciting  presidential  *'Log  Cabin"  campaign 
of  1840  to  remark  tliat  ''Pleasure  trips  to  these  Falls 
appear  to  be  quite  the  go.  Large  parties  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen  have  passed  up  on  the  steamboats 
Loyal  Hanna  and  Malta.  And  we  noticed  in  a  late 
St.  Louis  paper,  the  advertisements  of  the  Valley 
Forge,  lone,  Brazil  and  Monsoon,  all  for  'pleasure 
excursions  to  St.  Peters'.  We  see  also  in  the  same 
paper,  that  the  steamboat  Fayette  is  advertised  '  for 
Harrison  and  Reform'  —  rather  an  extensive  coun- 
try we  should  think,  at  the  present  time. ' '  *'^°  Even 
as  far  away  as  Louisville,  Kentucky',  steamboats 
wore  chartered  for  trips  to  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Mississippi  River.*"" 

The  pleasures  of  such  a  journey,  the  scenery  en- 
joyed, the  people  met,  the  events  of  the  day  spent  at 
Fort  Snelling  are  well  illustrated  by  two  letters  writ- 
ten by  the  Right  Reverend  Jackson  Kemper,  who 
was  the  missionary  bishop  of  the  Northwest  of  the 
Episcopal  Church.'"'  In  the  month  of  August,  1843, 
he  was  the  giiest  of  Captain  Throckmorton  on  the 
steamboat  "General  Brooke";  and  he  made  the  trip 
to  Foi't  Snelling  to  confer  with  Rev.  Ezekiel  Gear 
wlio  was  the  chaplain  at  the  post.  The  first  letter 
was  dated  August  25,  1843,  and  was  written  to  his 
daugliter. 

"ITere  we  are  snug  and  almost  dry  on  a  sninl  ])ar 


170  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

and  not  more  than  13  miles  below  St.  Peters",  lie 
wrote.  "While  the  Captain  and  his  men  are  using 
all  kinds  of  methods  to  get  us  off  —  the  chief  of  which 
is  to  put  our  freight  into  a  large  barge  aside  of  us  — 
I  will  write  you  a  few  lines.  It  is  now  past  8  o'c. 
P.  M.  We  still  hope  to  get  to  the  fort  before  night 
(mid-night  I  mean)  Then  the  Captain  says  he  will 
give  us  an  early  breakfast  tomorrow  and  send  us  off 
to  see  the  falls  (5  Miles  distant)  and  we  must  return 
so  as  to  start  down  the  river  by  noon.  This  is  too 
bad  in  many  respects;  but  what  can  we  do!  I  have 
not  time  to  stay  with  Mr.  Gear  until  the  next  boat 
arrives ;  that  may  not  be  for  a  week  or  two ;  so  I  will 
say  to  Mr.  G.  when  I  see  him :  Here  I  am,  &  I  have 
come  not  to  see  the  falls  but  you,  and  I  am  at  your 
disposal  as  long  as  I  am  here.  If  you  choose  to  take 
me  to  the  falls,  it  is  well ;  if  you  prefer  that  I  should 
remain  in  your  house  I  am  content.  —  It  is  still  prob- 
able that  I  shall  be  at  Potosi  next  tuesday  Morning. 
To  travel  on  Sunday,  and  particularly  to  do  so  with- 
out an  opportunity  of  preaching,  will  be  very  hard. 
There  will  probably  be  only  4  passengers  besides  my- 
self on  the  return.  There  was  a  little  boat  the  other 
[dayf]  a-head  of  us,  and  I  hoped  she  might  be  de- 
tained at  the  fort  until  Monday  —  but  that  prospect 
has  vanished,  for  she  has  just  past  us  descending  to 
Galena. 

"It  is  supposed  to  be  500  miles  from  St.  Louis  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  300  from  there  to  St.  Peters. 
We  stopt  at  Prairie  du  Chien  for  some  hours  and  a 
Judge  Lockwood  came  on  board  who  with  his  wife  is 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  171 

an  Episcopalian.     He  told  me  there  are  several  in 
and  about  the  town  &  he  thought  the  prospect  of 
organizing  a  church  a  fair  one  if  a  Missionary  could 
be  obtained  (We  are  off  the  sand  bar).     From  the 
prairie  our  voyage  has  been  delightful.     At  the  dis- 
tance of  a  mile  or  two  from  the  river  on  each  side 
are  ranges  of  lofty  hills,  in  a  great  variety  of  shapes. 
Many  of  them  appeared  as  if  the  river  had  flowed  for 
ages  near  to  their  tops.     Some  of  them  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  cut  in  two ;  and  on  the  peaks  of  several 
were  large  blocks  of  rock.     As  we  were  woodding  T 
spoke  of  going  up  to  one  of  them  but  was  told  it  was 
dangerous  on  account  of  rattle-snakes.     There  is  a 
curious  fact  connected  with  that  reptile.     Cannon 
river  flows  into  the  Mis'  from  the  west  —  it  is  a  long 
&  narrow  stream  —  nine  miles  above  Lake  Pepin. 
They  are  never  found  north  of  that  stream,  although 
they  abound  below  it.     One  of  the  hills  we  saw  yes- 
terday had  3  or  4  large  blocks  of  rock  upon  it,  called 
the  pot  and  kettles  from  their  resemblance  to  those 
useful  utensils.     The  prairies  were  frequent  &  some 
peculiarly  attractive.     On  Wabasa's  we  saw  a  Sioux 
village  —  and  a  farmer's  establishment  —  lie   being 
sent  there  by  the  U.  S.  to  civilize  the  Indians.     This 
morning  we  passed  another  village  called  Red  AVings 
])ut  saw  very  few  of  the  inhabitants.     The  corn  field 
was  very     ....     [illegible]  and  there  were  in  it 
elevated  frames  where  the  boys  are  kept  to  scare 
away  the  blackbirds.     I  saw  smoke  near  the  frames, 
the  boys  having  kindled  a  fire  to  roast  ears  of  corn 
for  their  comfort.     The  Sioux  have  winter  &  sunnner 


172  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

houses.  The  latter  are  conical  made  of  buffalo  robes 
covering  poles.  The  summer  lodges  looked  some- 
thing like  poor  log  huts  &  are  made  of  poles  &  elm 
bark.  Near  Red  Wings  village  there  is  a  Miss^' 
establishment  from  Switzerland.  —  Lake  Pepin  is  a 
beautiful  sheet  of  water  thro  wh  the  M.  flows  or  is  an 
expanse  of  the  M.  &  is  25  miles  by  3.  It  apparently 
abounded  in  large  fish,  for  they  were  constantly 
jumping  out  of  the  water.  Its  banks  you  know  are 
celebrated  for  agates  —  but  we  have  not  time  to  stop 
a  moment.  —  The  settlements  above  P.  du  Chien  are 
very  few  —  now  and  then  a  solitary  dwelling  &  a 
wood  yard.  At  one  of  these  places  the  man  told  me 
his  nearest  neighbor  w^as  20  miles  off.  In  winter 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  travelling  on  the  river  in 
sleighs.  About  half  way  up  Lake  Pepin  is  the  lov- 
er's rock  of  which  you  have  heard,  the  Chippeway 
river  enters  from  the  East  just  below  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Lake,  &  its  Mouth  is  100  Miles  below  St. 
Peters.  Up  it  &  like  wise  up  the  St.  Croix  are  saw 
mills,  as  that  country  abounds  with  Pine.  The 
Mouth  of  the  St.  Croix  is  30  miles  below  St.  Peters. 
Here  is  a  beautiful  lake  as  large  as  L.  Pepin  thro' 
which  the  St.  C.  flows  just  before  it  joins  the  M. — 
We  have  a  Mr.  Akin  on  board  whose  trading  estab- 
lishment is  300  Miles  north  of  the  St.  Peters  &  60 
west  of  Lake  Superior.  Then  he  has  been  among 
the  Chippeways  33  yrs.  He  has  been  thro'  Lake 
Superior  30  times  to  New  York  for  goods  &  returned 
as  often;  and  now  for  the  first  time  he  has  traded 
^vith   St.  Louis.     He  knows  perfectly  all   the  Ian- 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  173 


giiages  around  him.  The  most  copious  is  the  Chip- 
peway.  He  says  they  have  some  what  of  a  written 
language,  and  he  has  frequently  seen  an  Indian  write 
off  a  ...  .  [illegible]  for  another  on  a  piece 
of  bark.  He  thinks  the  characters  are  something 
like  those  of  the  Mexicans.  —  Now  I  suppose  you 
would  like  to  receive  a  letter  with  the  S.  Peter's  post 
Mark ;  and  if  I  ascertain  it  will  not  take  more  than 
a  Month  on  its  journey  you  shall  receive  this  thro 
that  channel ;  otherwise  I  will  reserve  it  for  the  p.  o. 
of  P.  du  Chien".*" 

The  narrative  is  continued  in  a  letter  of  August 
29,  1843,  written  from  Potosi,  Wisconsin,  to  his  son: 

"Although  you  may  not  have  a  very  high  opinion 
of  the  West,  yet  I  think  you  would  have  liked  to  be 
with  me  in  my  late  trip  to  St.  Peters.  The  weather 
was  delightful  and  the  scenery  grand  and  very  novel. 
You  have  probably  seen  my  letter  to  your  sister;  I 
will  therefore  say,  we  arrived  at  the  end  of  our  voy- 
age last  fridaj^  night,  and  as  the  fog  was  very  thick 
the  next  morning  we  could  not  see  where  we  were 
until  8  oclock.  Then  the  fort  on  a  high  liill,  with  its 
flag  flying,  had  a  fine  appearance.  Mr.  Gear  the 
chaplain  soon  called  at  the  boat  and  appeared  great- 
ly rejoiced  to  see  me.  I  accompanied  him  to  his 
quarters  and  saw  his  family  and  some  of  the  officers 
and  ladies  of  the  garrison,  and  then  he  and  T  rode 
out  8  miles  to  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Though  veiy 
inferior  to  those  of  Niagara,  they  are  still  well  worth 
seeing.  The  scenery  is  wild  —  there  are  many  im- 
mense rocks  in  the  river,  evidently  biokcii  off  from 


174  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  precipice  over  which  the  water  is  clashed  with 
considerable  noise  —  the  water  in  its  fall  is  f reciuent- 
ly  broken  —  but  even  when  it  is  not  so,  the  height  is 
not  more  than  17^  feet.  Returning  we  went  to  a  hill 
from  whence  we  could  see  the  whole  of  the  fall  for 
there  is  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river  which 
hides  one  half  of  it  when  you  are  near.  A  mile  or 
two  further  brought  us  to  a  most  beautiful  and  lofty 
cascade  on  Nine  Mile  river.  The  quantity  of  water 
was  not  large,  but  it  fell  amidst  the  wildest  scene, 
unl3roken,  over  a  ledge  of  rock  which  extended  far 
beyond  its  foundation.  —  There  were  not  many  In- 
dians. The  few  I  saw  were  Sioux  who  looked  much 
degenerated  by  their  contact  with  the  Whites.  The 
families  of  the  officers  appeared  very  happy;  the 
ladies  told  me  they  were  like  sisters.  For  months 
thev  have  no  visitors  but  wild  Indians  —  Sioux  or 
Chippeways.  An  old  Scotchman  who  had  been  in 
this  countrv  50  years  told  me  that  all  the  tribes  to 
the  North  and  West  speak  the  Chippeway  language 
or  its  dialects;  that  the  Sioux  is  entirely  different 
from  it,  but  that  a  dialect  of  it  is  spoken  by  the  Win- 
nebagoes,  with  this  difference  that  the  Sioux  lan- 
guage has  not  the  sound  of  the  letter  R  in  it  while 
almost  every  word  of  the  Winnebago  abounds  with 
Rs.  He  thinks  that  a  person  knowing  the  two  lan- 
guages—  the  C.  and  S.  could  travel  through  the  In- 
dian country  from  Mexico  to  the  N.  Pole  and  make 
himself  understood.  —  We  had  to  return  to  the  boat 
by  one  oclock,  and  soon  after  we  started  down  the 
river.     Near  the  Mouth  of  the  St.  Croix  —  about  45 


THE  FASHIONABLE  TOUR  175 

miles  below  St.  Peters,  I  saw  on  a  prairie  a  large 
stone  painted  a  bright  red,  to  Avliieh  the  Indians  offer 
sacrifices  of  tobacco  &c.  and  consider  a  Wa-Kon  or 
Spirit. — 'As  we  were  on  our  journey  Sunday  after- 
noon I  saw  a  bark  canoe  paddling  towards  us  with 
great  rapidity  containing  as  I  first  thought  an  Indian 
and  a  white  Man.  The  steamer  was  stopt,  and  soon 
the  chattels  (kettle,  coffee-pot,  &c)  then  the  men 
afterwards  the  boat  itself  were  on  board.  They 
proved  to  be  a  miner  who  had  gone  from  Galena  arid 
a  stout  lad.  Eight  months  ago  a  number  of  persons 
were  induced  by  offers  of  land  from  Government  to 
go  to  Lake  Superior  in  search  of  copper ;  and  a  large 
party  had  lately  been  occupied  in  removing  an  im- 
mense block  of  copper  from  the  bed  of  a  river  which 
empties  into  the  Lake.  This  miner  had  been  thus 
occupied;  and  he  informed  me  that  the  task  was 
done  —  that  the  block  weighed  three  tons  —  that  it 
was  to  be  taken  to  New  York  &c  as  an  object  of  curi- 
osity. A  fortnight  ago  he  had  started  from  the 
spot  —  skirted  the  Lake  to  a  certain  river,  ascended 
that  to  its  source,  tlien  carried  the  canoe  with  its 
contents  2  or  3  miles  on  their  shoulders  until  they 
met  the  head  waters  of  the  St.  Croix,  and  descended 
that  river  to  the  Mississippi.""^ 


XII 

THE  CHIPPEWA  TREATY  OF  1837 

The  relations  of  the  United  States  government  to 
the  Indians  prior  to  1871  shows  a  dual  attitude.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  Indians  were  the  government's 
wards.  By  the  ninth  of  the  Articles  of  Confedera- 
tion, Congress  was  given  the  right  of  "regulating 
the  trade  and  managing  all  affairs  with  the  Indians 
who  were  not  members  of  any  of  the  states  " ;  *"*  and 
by  the  act  regulating  Indian  trade  no  cession  of  land 
could  be  valid  unless  made  by  treaty  or  convention.*"^ 
On  the  other  hand,  these  treaties  were  negotiated 
and  proclaimed  with  all  the  pomp  and  ceremony 
which  would  appeal  to  the  Indian's  mind  and  impress 
him  with  his  importance  as  a  member  of  a  sovereign 
nation.  This  w^as  distinctly  a  "legal  fiction",  but  it 
continued  as  the  customary  method  of  procedure 
until  the  act  of  March  3,  1871,  abolished  the  practice 
of  considering  the  tribes  as  independent  nations.'^"'' 

As  the  nation  increased  in  strength  and  the  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  forces  of  the  country  were 
pushing  westward  and  coming  into  contact  with  the 
distant  tribes,  the  treaties  increased  in  number  and 
importance.  Urged  by  the  cries  of  hungry  land- 
seekers  the  cession  of  land  by  the  natives  gradually 
became  the  most  important  phase  of  all  treaties ;  and 

176 


THE  CHIPPEWA  TREATY  OF  1837  177 

in  order  that  the  new  settlements  might  be  protected 
from  vengeful  Indians  the  title  to  the  land  rested  on 
legal  cession  rather  than  on  conquest.  It  is  stated 
on  the  authority  of  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Af- 
fairs that  "Except  only  in  the  case  of  the  Sioux  In- 
dians in  Minnesota,  after  the  outbreak  of  1862,  the 
Government  has  never  extinguished  an  Indian  title 
as  by  right  of  conquest ;  and  in  this  case  the  Indians 
were  provided  with  another  reservation,  and  subse- 
quently were  paid  the  net  proceeds  arising  from  the 
sale  of  the  land  vacated."*'" 

The  negotiation  of  a  treaty  was  not  an  easy  affair. 
There  were  no  recognized  representatives  of  the 
tribe.  In  order  that  a  treaty  might  be  satisfactory 
it  was  necessary  that  all  factions  be  consulted ;  and 
the  braves  who  gathered  often  numbered  into  the 
hundreds.  Thus,  in  planning  the  negotiations  a 
satisfactory^  place  and  an  opportune  time  must  be 
selected,  while  the  red  men  must  be  supported  while 
away  from  home  and  protected  from  lurking  en- 
emies. It  was  in  these  phases  of  treaty-making  that 
the  military  posts  showed  their  importance. 

The  first  important  treaty  witli  which  llio  ti'ibes 
living  about  Fort  Snelling  were  concerned  was  that 
made  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1825.  Tlie  little  fron- 
tier village  presented  a  gala  appearance  during  the 
month  of  August  when  the  great  convocation  was 
held.  There  were  Chippewas,  Sioux,  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  Menomonies,  lowas,  Winnebagoes,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  Ottawa,  Chippewa,  and  Pottawattomie 
ti'ibes  li\-iii<''  on  the  Illinois  liivei*  gathered  to  consult 


178  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

with  Governor  Lewis  Cass  of  Michigan  and  General 
WilHam  Clark,  the  government's  commissioners. 
Of  the  1054  drawing  rations  on  the  last  day,  386  were 
of  the  delegation  of  Sioux  and  Chippewas  gathered 
by  Major  Taliaferro  at  Fort  Snelling  and  brought 
down  in  safety  to  make  a  triumphal  entry  in  true 
Indian  style  with  flags  flying,  drums  beating,  and 
guns  firing/"^ 

Although  there  was  no  cession  of  land,  distinct 
progress  w^as  made  in  that  the  territories  of  the  vari- 
ous tribes  were  defined,  thus  making  negotiations 
easier  for  the  future.  Of  especial  importance  was 
the  Sioux-Chippewa  boundary  line,  which  made  clear 
the  territory  of  each  tribe,  so  that  when  the  year 
1837  arrived  and  treaties  were  made  to  obtain  the 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi,  the  areas  with  which 
each  was  concerned  were  clearly  understood.*'^ 

By  the  year  1837  many  conditions  called  for  the 
cession  of  these  lands.  The  forests,  the  Avater- 
power,  the  mines  of  lead  and  other  ores  aroused  the 
desires  of  speculators.  Settlers  were  thronging  to 
Wisconsin,  and  it  was  felt  that  if  the  land  could  be 
purchased  and  the  Indians  removed,  the  people 
would  be  safe  from  any  attacks,  and  the  Indians 
would  be  removed  from  the  contaminating  influence 
of  many  of  the  undesirable  whites.*®''  There  were 
also  the  traders  who  for  years  past  had  given  credit 
to  many  worthless  Indians  who  had  never  brought 
back  from  the  hunt  furs  sufficient  to  pay  for  the 
goods  advanced  them;  and  they  hoped  that  in  the 


THE  CHIPPEWA  TREATY  OF  1837  179 

pajTuent  for  the  lands  certain  sums  would  be  re- 
served for  the  liquidation  of  these  debts.*^^ 

In  the  early  summer  of  1837  Major  Taliaferro  was 
ordered  to  organize  a  delegation  of  Sioux  Indians 
who  could  be  taken  to  "Washing-ton,  where  the  Sioux 
negotiations  would  take  place.  At  the  same  time 
orders  were  issued  to  summon  the  Chippewas  of  the 
upper  Mississippi  to  a  council  to  be  held  at  Fort 
Snelling,  To  both  of  these  groups  the  subject  of  the 
purchase  of  the  Indian  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi 
would  be  broached.*®" 

Miles  Vinevard,  who  was  the  sub-agent  at  Fort 
Snelling,  was  immediately  sent  to  the  villages  of  the 
Chippewas.  Early  in  July  the  red  men  began  to 
arrive,  and  by  July  20th  about  a  thousand  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  had  pitched  their  tepees  near  the 
fort.  Many  were  the  notable  chiefs  gathered  there 
with  their  warriors.  With  the  Pillager  band  from 
Leech  Lake  was  Chief  Flat  Mouth,  who  had  twentv- 
five  times  been  on  the  warpath  without  receiving  a 
wound,  who  had  delivered  his  English  medal  to  Pike 
in  1806,  and  whose  band  had  been  attacked  by  the 
Sioux  under  the  walls  of  Fort  Snelling  in  1827.  The 
most  famous  of  the  Chippewa  chiefs,  he  was  still  liv- 
ing in  1852,  being  then  seventy-eight  years  old.*^^ 

The  chief  of  the  bands  from  Gull  Lake  and  Swau 
River  was  Hole-in-the-Day.  Energetic,  brave,  and 
intelligent,  ho  gained  a  great  influence  over  the  Chip- 
pewas of  the  upper  Mississippi.  His  name,  which 
literally  meant  a  bright  spot  in  the  sky,  is  often  writ- 


180  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

ten  Hole-in-the-Sky.  He  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
Fort  Snelling  and  came  to  his  death  at  that  place  in 
1847  when  he  fell  from,  a  wagon,  breaking  his  neck 
and  dying  instantly/**  His  brother  Strong  Ground 
or  Strong  Earth  was  also  present  at  the  council.  He 
had  been  a  member  of  Flat  Mouth's  band  at  the  time 
of  the  massacre  in  1827.  Thirty-six  eagle  plumes 
waved  from  his  head-dress  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
each  of  them  representing  the  scalp  of  an  enemy. 
The  first  of  these  he  obtained  when  as  a  small  boy 
he  dashed  into  the  ranks  of  the  Sioux  during  a  con- 
flict and  scalped  a  fallen  warrior.**^  Chiefs  and 
warriors  from  the  St.  Croix  River,  Mille  Lac,  and 
Sandy  Lake,  with  their  followers,  were  also  en- 
camped near  the  fort. 

There  were  also  notables  among  the  white  men 
gathered  there.  The  United  States  commissioner 
was  Henry  Dodge,  known  as  an  Indian  fighter,  and 
at  that  time  Governor  of  Wisconsin  Territory.  Gen- 
eral William  R.  Smith  of  Pennsylvania,  who  had 
been  appointed  by  the  President  to  serve  as  a  com- 
missioner with  Governor  Dodge,  was  unable  to  come. 
Lawrence  Taliaferro,  the  Indian  agent,  was  busied 
with  many  duties  connected  with  the  safety  of  the 
visitors.  Four  hundred  Sioux  hovered  about,  and 
these  had  to  be  kept  at  a  safe  distance  to  avoid  con- 
flicts. Verplanck  Van  Antwerp,  the  secretary  of 
the  commission;  J.  N.  Nicollet,  the  explorer;  H.  H. 
Sibley;  and  many  other  fur  traders  watched  the 
negotiations  and  put  their  names  to  the  treaty  as 
witnesses. *^^ 


THE  CHIPPEWA  TREATY  OF  1837  181 

The  council  began  on  July  20th.  It  was  with  the 
chiefs  that  Governor  Dodge  parleyed,  but  the  war- 
riors and  braves  felt  that  they  also  should  have  some 
part  in  the  proceedings.  On  one  occasion  several 
hundred  of  them,  streaked  ^\dth  their  brightest  paint, 
waving  their  tomahawks  and  spears  and  carrjdng 
the  war  flag  of  the  Chippewas,  together  with  the  flag 
of  the  United  States,  interrupted  the  council  with 
their  whoops  and  drums;  and  when  they  had  ap- 
proached the  chair  of  the  Governor,  paused  while 
two  of  the  warriors  harangued  the  crowd  on  the 
kindness  of  the  traders  and  the  debts  owed  them.*^^ 

The  negotiations  were  carried  on  in  a  bower  near 
the  house  of  the  agent.  The  chiefs  were  assembled 
daily ;  the  peace  pipe  was  smoked ;  and  the  red  men, 
dressed  only  in  leggings  and  breech  cloths,  with  their 
long  hair  hanging  over  their  shoulders  under  the 
eagle  feathers  upon  their  heads,  and  medals  dangling 
from  their  necks,  spoke  of  lands,  of  the  traders,  and 
of  wars.  The  speeches  of  the  Indians  seemed  inter- 
minable. From  day  to  day  action  was  postponed  as 
tliey  were  waiting  for  other  bands  to  arrive. 

To  prolong  the  council  as  long  as  possible  was 
satisfying  to  the  appetite  of  the  Indian.  The  rations 
issued  by  the  commissary  at  Fort  Snelling  were  not 
to  be  eagerly  exchanged  for  the  fare  of  a  Chippewa 
lodge  in  the  northern  woods.  But  at  first  the  menu 
was  not  satisfactory.  Nadin  (the  Wind)  complained 
on  July  24th:  ''You  have  everything  around  you, 
and  can  give  us  some  of  the  cattle  that  are  around  us 
on  the  prairie.    At  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien, 


182  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  case  was  as  difficult  as  this.  The  great  Chief 
then  fed  us  well  with  cattle."  **^  Evidently  this  hint 
was  acted  upon,  as  the  old  records  show  that  by  July 
30th  ten  beeves  weighing  6123  pounds  had  been  fur- 
nished the  Chippewas  who  were  assembled  to  the 
number  of  1400.*^^  The  amount  of  supplies  used  on 
such  an  occasion  is  indicated  by  instructions  given  to 
Alexander  Eamsey  and  John  Chambers  who  in  1849 
were  commissioned  to  treat  with  the  Sioux  Indians 
at  Fort  Snelling.  They  were  authorized  to  obtain 
from  the  commissary  at  Fort  Snelling  15,000  rations 
of  flour,  10,000  of  pork,  10,000  of  salt,  10,000  of  beans, 
and  5000  of  soap.^'° 

At  the  first  meeting  Governor  Dodge  spoke  to  the 
Chippewas  of  the  purpose  of  the  council.  Their 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi,  he  informed  them,  were 
not  valuable  in  game  and  were  not  suited  for  agri- 
cultural purposes.  Thej^  were  said  to  be  covered 
with  pine  trees,  which  the  white  men  were  eager  to 
obtain,  and  accordingly  the  government  was  willing 
to  pay  the  Chippewa  nation  for  them.  Thus,  by  sell- 
ing the  land  they  could  obtain  money  for  that  which 
actually  was  of  little  value  to  them.*^^ 

There  evidently  was  no  intention  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians  not  to  sell  the  lands,  but  the  council  was  pro- 
tracted, pending  the  arrival  of  other  bands.  Not 
until  July  27th  did  they  make  au}^  movement  to  close 
the  deal.  On  that  day,  Ma-ghe-ga-l^o,  a  warrior  of 
the  Pillager  band,  dressed  in  his  most  fantastic  cos- 
tume, covered  a  map  of  the  land  in  question  with  a 
piece  of  paper,  remarking  that  when  the  paper  was 


THE  CHIPPEAYA  TREATY  OF  1837  183 

removed  the  land  would  be  considered  sold.  He 
added  a  final  request:  "My  father,  in  all  the  coun- 
try we  sell  you,  we  wish  to  hold  on  to  that  which 
gives  us  life  —  the  streams  and  lakes  where  we  fish, 
and  the  trees  from  which  we  make  sugar." 

Finally  he  asked  all  the  chiefs  who  agreed  to  sell 
the  land  to  rise.  About  tliirty  arose  at  his  word. 
Immediately  Ma-ghe-ga-bo  raised  the  paper  from  the 
map  and  seized  the  hand  of  Governor  Dodge.  The 
sale  was  made.  There  remained  only  to  agree  upon 
the  terms  of  the  cession. *°^ 

During  the  negotiations,  reference  had  been  made 
continually  by  the  Indians  to  the  traders  and  the 
payment  of  the  debts  owed  them.  Pe-she-ke  said: 
"I  have  been  supported  by  the  trader,  and  without 
his  aid,  could  not  get  through  the  winter  with  naked 
skin.  The  grounds  where  your  children  have  to 
hunt  are  as  bare  as  that  on  which  I  now  stand,  and 
have  no  game  upon  them.  .  .  .  We  have  not 
much  to  give  the  traders,  as  our  lands  and  hunting- 
grounds  are  so  destitute.  Do  us  a  kindness  by  pay- 
ing our  old  debts."  That  he  was  coached  to  make 
the  remark  is  evident  from  his  statement  that  "No- 
body—  no  trader  has  instructed  me  what  to  say  to 
you."''' 

On  July  29th  the  terms  were  finally  agreed  upon, 
and  while  the  secretary  was  writing  out  the  treaty 
the  braves  of  the  Chippewas  held  a  dance  under  the 
walls  of  Fort  Snelling.  This  indicated  not  only 
their  satisfaction  at  the  successful  conclusion  of  the 
council,  l»nt  was  also  intondod  as  a  coiiipliinont  to 


184  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

the  commissioner.  Three  hmidred  warriors  circled 
about  in  their  gaudy  costumes,  recounting  during 
the  pauses  of  the  dance  the  deeds  of  bravery  they 
had  done  and  the  number  of  Sioux  scalps  they  had 
obtained.  At  a  distance  a  great  number  of  Sioux 
looked  upon  the  scene,  not  daring  to  interfere  when 
the  troops  of  the  fort  were  so  near.*^* 

By  this  treaty  the  Chippewas  ceded  an  immense 
tract  of  land  east  of  the  Mississippi.  In  return  the 
United  States  agreed  to  pay  annually  for  twenty 
years  $9500  in  money,  $19,000  in  goods,  $3000  for 
blacksmiths,  $1000  for  farmers,  $2000  in  provisions, 
and  $500  in  tobacco.  One  hundred  thousand  dollars 
was  to  be  paid  to  the  half-breeds,  and  $70,000  was 
set  aside  to  pay  the  claims  of  the  fur  traders.  The 
privilege  of  hunting,  fishing,  and  gathering  wild  rice 
along  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  ceded  territory  was 
reserved  for  the  Indians.*®^ 

This  cession  of  land  by  the  Chippewas  had  its 
counterpart  in  a  treaty  concluded  by  Sioux  chiefs  on 
September  29,  1837,  in  "Washington,  w^hither  they 
had  been  taken  by  Major  Taliaferro.  All  their  lands 
east  of  the  Mississippi  —  the  land  between  the  Black 
River  and  the  Mississippi  River  as  far  north  as  the 
Sioux-Chippewa  boundary  line  was  given  up  for 
various  considerations  amounting  in  total  to  almost 
one  million  dollars.*^^ 

By  these  two  treaties  all  the  lands  east  of  Fort 
Snelling  were  opened  to  settlement  and  commercial 
exploitation.  As  soon  as  the  news  of  their  ratifica- 
tion came,  developments  immediately  began  —  de- 


THE  CHIPPEWA  TREATY  OF  1837  185 

velopments  which  had  an  important  bearing  upon 
the  future  histor}^  of  Old  Fort  Snelling.  The  days 
when  the  Chippewa  treaty  was  being  drawn  up  are 
important,  not  only  because  they  present  an  interest- 
ing sight  of  the  picturesque  features  of  an  Indian 
council,  but  also  because  they  show  how  Fort  Snell- 
ing was  assisting  in  the  opening  up  of  the  rich  timber 
lands  and  fertile  prairies  that  border  the  Mississippi 
River. 

For  many  years  the  payment  of  annuities  that  had 
been  promised  the  Sioiix  was  an  annual  reminder  of 
these  treaties.  It  was  necessary  that  each  Indian 
receive  his  portion  of  the  goods  and  money  in  person 
in  order  to  prevent  fraud.  In  the  late  summer  of 
each  year  all  the  w^arriors  of  Red  Wing's  and  Waba- 
sha's villages  would  leave  their  homes  for  the  fort. 
In  the  agency  building  the  United  States  officers, 
with  the  roll  of  the  Sioux  nation  before  them,  called 
the  names  of  the  indi\'iduals,  who  one  by  one  stepped 
up,  touched  the  pen  of  the  secretary,  received  the 
money,  and  deposited  it  in  the  box  of  his  band.  Out- 
side was  the  typical  Indian  group  —  squaws,  chil- 
dren, dogs,  and  braves  smoking  their  pipes  and  talk- 
ing of  past  achievements.  And  in  order  that  the  In- 
dians might  always  be  conscious  of  the  presence  of 
the  soldiers  of  the  ''Great  Father",  the  band  of  the 
fort  played  patriotic  and  thrilling  airs."^' 

Willi  the  transfer  of  the  Indians  to  reservations 
higher  up  on  the  Minnesota  River  the  pa}^nent  of 
these  annuities  became  a  task  which  could  no  longer 
ho  performed  at  the  fort.     But  the  guarding  of  the 


186  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

funds  was  a  necessity.  Captain  James  Monroe 
spent  the  latter  half  of  the  month  of  November,  1852, 
at  Traverse  des  Sioux  with  one  subaltern  and  forty- 
seven  men  of  the  dragoons  and  infantry,  protecting 
the  money  from  bandits  and  Indians.  William  T. 
Magruder  was  ordered  on  October  23,  1853,  to  pro- 
ceed in  command  of  a  detachment  of  troops  to  escort 
the  money  being  sent  to  Fort  Ridgely ;  and  exactly  a 
year  later,  an  officer  and  thirteen  men  were  detailed 
to  perform  a  similar  task. 


498 


XIII  I, 

CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS 

"The  frontier  army  post,"  writes  Professor  F.  J. 
Turner,  -'serving  to  protect  the  settlers  from  the 
Indians,  has  also  acted  as  a  wedge  to  open  the  Indian 
country,  and  has  been  a  nucleus  for  settlement. "  ^''^ 
When  the  Fifth  Infantry  built  its  cantonment  on  the 
Minnesota  River  there  were  no  other  habitations  in 
the  neighborhood.  Traders  yearly  frequented  the 
region  and  wintered  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Minnesota  rivers,  but  their  headquarters  were 
located  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Immediately  after  the 
beginning  of  the  military  establishment,  however,  the 
movement  mentioned  hj  Professor  Turner  was  in- 
itiated. 

In  the  spring  of  1820  J.  B.  Faribault  came  up  with 
cattle  for  the  garrison  and  decided  to  locate  in  the 
vicinity  as  a  fur  trader.  On  August  9th  the  Indians 
granted  Pike's  Island  to  his  wife,  Pelagi  Faribault, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  a  Frenchman  and  a  Sioux 
woman.  Faribault  immediately  built  houses  upon 
the  island,  but  high  water  washed  them  away. 
Thereupon  he  removed  to  the  east  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. It  is  probably  to  this  estal)lishment  that  Bel- 
trami referred  in  1823  when  he  wrote  that  "there  are 
no  buildings  round  the  fort,  except  three  or  four  log- 

187 


188  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

houses  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  which  some  sub- 
altern agents  of  the  Southwest  Company  live  among 
the  frogs. ' '  ^°°  This  position  was  also  upon  low  land, 
and  on  April  21,  1826,  when  the  ice  began  to  move, 
Faribault's  houses  were  carried  away,  while  he  and 
his  family  escaped  in  canoes. ^°^  After  this  second 
disaster  Faribault's  establishment  was  erected  at 
Mendota,  where  Alexis  Bailly  had  already  located.^°- 
The  growth  of  this  village  was  very  slow.  But  grad- 
ually old  fur  traders  settled  about  it  with  their  fam- 
ilies; voyageurs,  when  not  employed  on  the  rivers, 
lounged  about  the  trading  house ;  and  the  agents  and 
clerks  of  the  American  Fur  Company  had  their  per- 
manent homes  in  the  rude  log  cabins  which  were 
clustered  about. 

In  the  meantime  a  new  element  had  been  added  to 
the  surroundings  of  the  fort.  It  was  already  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  since  the  traders  had  erected 
the  first  trading  post  upon  the  Red  River  of  the 
North.  The  early  French  voyageurs  had  left  a  race 
of  half-breeds,  popularly  called  hois-hrules,  who 
were  the  vassals  of  the  two  great  companies.  When 
their  strength  had  been  spent  in  the  labors  of  hunt- 
ing and  trapping,  they  retired  to  the  vicinity  of  some 
post  —  the  largest  of  these  settlements  being  Fort 
Grarry,  the  germ  of  the  modern  city  of  Winnipeg, 
which  as  early  as  1823  boasted  of  a  population  of 
about  six  hundred. ^°^ 

But  not  all  of  these  half-breeds  were  traders. 
Thomas  Douglas,  the  fifth  Lord  Selkirk  had  secured 
from  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  the  grant  of  an 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  189 

immense  tract  of  land  on  the  Red  River,  and  in  1811 
he  began  the  colonization  of  the  region  with  poor 
immigrants  from  Scotland  and  Ireland.  But  the 
knowledge  of  the  internal  troubles  of  the  company 
put  an  end  to  the  immigration  from  these  two  coun- 
tries, and  Lord  Selkirk  turned  to  Switzerland  for 
new  recruits.  In  1821  a  ship  full  of  Swiss  sailed  for 
Fort  York  on  Hudson's  Bay,  and  late  in  the  fall  the 
party  reached  the  Red  River  after  a  toilsome  jour- 
ney up  the  Nelson  River  and  across  Lake  Winnipeg. 
Being  artisans  and  city-dwellers  they  were  unable  to 
endure  the  rough  agricultural  labors  in  the  bleak 
north.  Cold,  floods,  grasshoppers,  and  uncongenial 
neighbors  rendered  the  location  unpleasant. ^°* 

Travellers  from  the  south  brought  news  of  a  bet- 
ter locality,  and  towards  this  place  there  soon  began 
a  movement  which,  while  not  great  in  any  one  year, 
was  long  continued.  In  1821  five  families  made  the 
journey  to  Fort  Snelling,  and  their  success  inspired 
others.  In  1823  thirteen  families  made  the  perilous 
journey  of  four  hundred  miles.  From  year  to  year, 
as  families  became  discouraged  they  left  the  colony. 
Four  hundred  and  eighty-nine  persons  had  arrived 
at  Fort  Snelling  up  to  1835.^°^ 

The  many  hardships  endured  by  these  travellers, 
and  their  pitiful  condition,  appealed  to  the  sympathy 
of  the  Americans,^""  and  they  were  welcomed  and 
aided  by  the  officers  at  Fort  Snelling.  During  their 
stay  one  party  w^as  granted  the  use  of  the  old  bar- 
racks at  Camp  Cold  Water.  Employment  was  given 
the  men  upon  the  reservation,  and  those  who  pre- 


190  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

ferred  to  remain  Avere  allowed  to  settle  upon  the  mil- 
itary grounds.  Comparatively  few,  however,  made 
their  homes  here,  the  greater  number  proceeding  to 
Galena,  Illinois,  and  Vevay,  Indiana.  On  one  occa- 
sion provisions  for  the  down-river  journey  in  gov- 
ernment keel-boats  w^ere  issued  by  Colonel  Snell- 
ing.^°" 

A  third  class  of  settlers  around  the  fort  was  com- 
posed of  discharged  soldiers.  Men  stationed  at  Fort 
Snelling  saw  the  agricultural  value  of  the  surround- 
ing lands,  or  the  possibility  of  riches  in  the  fur 
trade.  Joseph  R.  Brown,  who  came  as  a  drummer 
boy  with  Colonel  Leavenworth  in  1819,  entered  the 
employ  of  the  post  sutler  when  he  ceased  his  connec- 
tion with  the  army,  and  later  he  became  an  Indian 
trader.'^^"*  Edward  Phelan,  John  Hays,  and  William 
Evans,  whose  terms  of  service  at  Fort  Snelling  ex- 
pired about  this  time  were  among  the  first  settlers 
on  the  land  ceded  in  the  treaty  of  1837.^''^ 

In  the  fall  of  1837  it  was  revealed  bv  a  survev  that 
there  w^ere  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  white  per- 
sons, not  connected  with  the  fort,  living  on  the  reser- 
vation. Of  these,  eighty-two  had  their  homes  in  the 
vicinity  of  Camp  Cold  Water  and  seventy-five  at  the 
fur  trading  establishments.  Approximately  two 
hundred  horses  and  cattle  were  owned  by  these  per- 


sons."" 


For  many  years  pleasant  relations  existed  between 
the  officers  at  the  post  and  the  civilians.  The  physi- 
cian of  the  garrison  willingly  responded  to  calls  for 
his  aid  made  by  the  people  living  outside  the  fort. 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  15)1 

"I  am  compelled",  wrote  Joseph  Renville  to  H.  H. 
Sibley,  "to  ask  you  for  some  assistance  in  regard  to 
a  disease  which  is  very  bad  here  —  the  whooping 
congh.  I  pray  yon  to  ask  the  doctor  for  some  medi- 
cine, particularly  for  some  camphor.  "^^^  Many  a 
time  Lawrence  Taliaferro  presided  at  a  frontier 
wedding,  when  in  one  of  the  rude  huts  on  the  reser- 
vation the  picturesque  figure  of  the  fur  trader 
mingled  A\ith  the  glittering  uniform  of  the  officer, 
and  dusky  faces  peered  in  at  the  windows  awaiting 
the  end  of  the  ceremony  when  they  also  could  par- 
take of  such  a  feast  as  only  the  prairies,  lakes,  and 
sutler's  store  could  provide. ^^" 

In  the  troubles  which  naturally  arose  between  the 
settlers  and  the  Indians,  the  agent  was  the  mediator. 
Thirty  of  Peter  Musick's  cattle  were  killed  by  In- 
dians who,  wanting  only  powder  horns,  left  the  car- 
casses to  the  wolves. ^^^  On  July  13,  1834,  Jacol)  Fal- 
strom  came  to  the  agency  bringing  the  feet  and  hams 
of  an  ox  which  he  claimed  had  been  shot  by  a  Sioux 
Indian  at  Mud  Lake.  He  claimed  thirty- five  dollars 
from  the  Indian  Department  for  the  loss  which  he 
had  sustained.  As  he  was  a  poor  man  and  had  a 
large  family  to  support  Majoi-  Taliaferro  was  moved 
to  make  an  effort  to  aid  him.  ''I  proposed",  he 
wrote  in  his  diary  the  same  evening,  "to  contribute 
$5  for  the  benefit  of  J.  Faustram  to  Several  of  the 
Gentlemen  of  the  Post  —  but  not  meeting  with  a  cor- 
responding Sentiment  —  the  poor  fellow  must  be  in- 
formed of  my  bad  success  in  his  behalf  ".'''■' 

Only  a  week  later  Joseph  R.  Brown  asked  to  ])o 


192  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

paid  for  a  hog  which  the  Indians  had  killed.^^^  Dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1837  Louis  Massy  claimed  $150 ; 
Abraham  Perry  $50;  and  Benjamin  F.  Baker  $750 
for  similar  damages/^^  Many  years  later  the  agent 
wrote  of  these  unpleasant  duties:  ''The  traders 
would  make  a  detective  of  the  agent  if  practicable. 
All  thefts  on  each  other  were  reported  to  the  agent 
for  justice.  Deserting  boatmen  (fed  on  corn  and 
tallow)  must  be  forced  to  proceed  up  the  St.  Peter's 
with  their  outfits  for  the  trade,  right  or  wrong. 
Every  ox,  cow,  calf  or  hog  lost  by  persons  on  the  In- 
dian lands,  the  agents  were  expected  to  find  the  cul- 
prits or  pay  for  these  often  fictitious  losses." ^'^ 

A  new  era  in  the  history  of  these  settlers  began 
when  the  treaties  of  1837  opened  the  lands  east  of 
the  Mississippi  to  settlement.  Some  time  before 
they  had  heard  rumors  of  the  coming  negotiations  at 
Washington,  and  those  living  west  of  the  Mississippi 
sent  a  memorial  to  the  President  stating  that  they 
had  settled  upon  the  land  thinking  it  was  part  of  the 
public  domain  and  believing  that  they  would  have 
the  right  of  preemption  upon  their  claims.  But  now, 
if  a  new  treaty  was  made  and  the  land  west  of  the 
Mississippi  purchased  for  a  military  reservation, 
they  asked  that  they  be  allowed  reasonable  compen- 
sation for  the  improvements  they  had  made.  How- 
ever, in  the  treaty  no  mention  was  made  of  a  military 
reservation,  the  title  to  the  land  around  the  fort 
being  allowed  to  rest  upon  Pike's  treaty  of  1805.''^ 

But  to  Major  J.  Plympton,  who  became  the  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  Snelling  during  the  summer 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  193 

of  1837,  the  presence  of  these  people  was  undesir- 
able, and  so  in  a  letter  written  to  the  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral he  called  attention  to  the  settlement  and  com- 
plained of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  fuel  for  the 
garrison  when  the  squatters  were  also  engaged  in 
the  same  task.  In  his  reply  on  November  17,  1837, 
the  Adjutant-General  directed  that  a  reservation  be 
marked  off  —  the  extent  of  Pike's  purchase  being 
indefinite.^^^ 

On  March  26, 1838,  Major  Plympton  sent  a  map  of 
the  territory  which  he  chose  to  have  considered  as 
a  military  reservation.  This  reservation,  contrary 
to  the  expectations  of  many,  included  land  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi.  Thus  there  were  many 
who  thought  that  they  had  been  using  their  legal 
rights  of  preemption  wdien  in  reality  they  were  only 
squatters.  Order  No.  65  issued  at  the  post  on  July 
26,  1838,  forbade  the  erection  of  any  buildings  or 
fences  upon  the  reservation,  and  prohibited  tlio  cut- 
ting of  timber  except  for  public  use.''^''  During  this 
same  time  there  seems  to  have  been,  on  the  part  of 
those  living  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  a 
movement  to  the  east  side.  Mrs.  Abraham  Perry 
came  to  Agent  Taliaferro  on  October  18,  1838,  and 
complained  that  the  Indians  had  killed  three  of  her 
cattle  ''just  below  the  stone  cave"  —  that  is.  Foun- 
tain Cave  which  was  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river.^'^ 
Yet  her  husband  was  among  those  who  had  signed 
the  petition  of  August  16,  1837,  as  residents  on  the 
west  side. 

Within  these  lands  were  also  a  number  ol'  shacks 


194  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

along  the  river  bank  a  few  miles  below  Fort  Snelling. 
Here  whiskey  was  clandestinely  transferred  from 
the  boats  before  they  proceeded  upstream.  During 
the  winter  of  1839  the  presence  of  these  resorts  had 
a  deteriorating  effect  upon  the  garrison.  Surgeon 
Emerson  wrote  to  the  Surgeon  General  of  the  United 
States  on  April  23, 1839 :  ' '  Since  the  middle  of  win- 
ter we  have  been  completely  inundated  with  ardent 
spirits,  and  consequently  the  most  beastly  scenes  of 
intoxication  among  the  soldiers  of  this  garrison  and 
the  Indians  in  its  vicinity,  which  no  doubt  will  add 
many  cases  to  our  sick-list  ....  I  feel  grieved 
to  witness  such  scenes  of  drunkenness  and  dissipa- 
tion where  I  have  spent  many  days  of  happiness, 
when  we  had  no  ardent  spirits  among  us,  and  con- 
sequently sobriety  and  good  conduct  among  the  com- 
mand. ' '  ^'^ 

Brigadier  General  John  E.  Wool  inspected  Fort 
Snelling  on  June  2nd,  and  in  a  letter  on  June  28th 
he  urged  that  the  settlers  be  driven  off  the  reserva- 
tion. "Such  is  the  character  of  the  white  inhab- 
itants of  that  country",  he  wrote,  ''that  if  they  can- 
not be  permitted  to  carry  on  their  nefarious  traffic 
with  the  Indians,  it  will  sooner  or  later  involve  them 
in  a  war  with  the  United  States.  "^-^ 

Influenced  by  these  letters  and  reports  Secretary 
of  War  J.  R.  Poinsett  determined  to  compel  all  the 
settlers  to  leave.  It  is,  however,  wrong  to  suppose 
that  all  were  guilty  of  whiskey-peddling.  In  a  letter 
in  which  he  commented  on  the  number  of  persons 
present  at  the  Sunday  services  in  the  fort  the  chap- 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  195 

lain  wrote  that  "Some  of  the  inhabitants  also  in  the 
vicinity  who  were  regular  in  their  attendance  have 
removed. ' '  ^-* 

The  instructions  for  the  removal  were  made  out 
on  October  21, 1839,  and  sent  to  Edward  James,  Mar- 
shal of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  They  stated 
that  if  force  should  prove  necessary  to  compel  the 
people  to  leave,  the  Marshal  should  call  upon  the 
commanding  officer  at  Fort  Snelling  for  such  aid. 
In  that  case  he  was  instructed  to  act  "with  as  much 
forbearance,  consideration,  and  delicacy  as  may  be 
consistent  with  the  prompt  and  faithful  perform- 
ance of  the  duties  hereby  assigned  to  you"."^ 

The  orders  were  not  received  by  Marshal  James 
until  February  18,  1840,  and  he  immediately  for- 
warded them  to  his  deputy,  Ira  B.  Brunson  of 
Prairie  du  Chien.  As  soon  as  navigation  opened  in 
the  spring  he  left  for  Fort  Snelling.  Notice  was  at 
once  given  to  the  settlers  to  move,  and  when  they 
refused  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  called  out  on 
May  6th  and  under  the  direction  of  a  lieutenant  and 
Marshal  Brunson  the  household  goods  of  the  settlers 
were  carried  out  and  their  cabins  destroyed.^-" 

These  ejected  settlers  found  new  homes  a  few 
miles  down  the  river.  In  the  midst  of  their  rude 
homes  a  log  chapel  was  dedicated  in  November,  1841, 
to  the  Apostle  St.  Paul  by  the  Reverend  Lucian  Gal- 
tier."^  As  the  ceded  lands  were  more  and  more  oc- 
cupied, the  little  village  enjoyed  a  corresponding 
growth.  Gradually  the  name  of  the  chapel  was 
adopted  as  the  name  of  the  settlement.     In  1841)  the 


196  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

Territory  of  Minnesota  was  organized  with  the  seat 
of  the  legislature  at  St.  Paul.  The  new  community 
prospered,  and  the  town  swarmed  with  settlers,  In- 
dians, travellers,  and  adventurers  who  lived  in  tents 
or  slept  in  barns  in  lieu  of  better  accommodations. 
There  were  also  capitalists,  tradesmen,  and  officials 
who  here  made  their  homes.^^® 

It  was  inevitable  that  between  this  new  community 
and  Fort  Snelling  close  relations  should  exist.  The 
Territorial  government  was  weak;  to  enforce  order 
it  was  necessary  for  the  Governor  to  make  requisi- 
tion on  the  fort  for  troops. ^"^  The  jail  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing was  also  utilized  for  the  punishment  of  many 
undesirable  characters  always  drawn  to  a  new  re- 
gion. James  Higby  who  sold  a  promissory  note 
which  had  already  been  paid,  and  Jacob  Shipler  who 
was  arrested  on  a  charge  of  assault  and  battery  were 
both  given  terms  in  the  jail  at  the  fort.  John  R. 
McGregor,  who  became  angry  and  threw  his  wife 
against  a  cooking  stove,  was  separated  from  his  help- 
meet for  a  period  of  three  months  while  he  lan- 
guished in  the  fort.^^° 

The  soldiers,  in  return,  visited  the  frontier  town, 
conducting  themselves  in  the  eyes  of  one  observer 
''with  much  dignity  and  sobriety ".^^^  Not  always, 
however,  could  their  actions  be  thus  described.  Two 
soldiers  who  had  just  returned  from  an  expedition 
to  the  Indian  country,  started  for  St.  Paul  on  the 
evening  of  their  return,  carrying  with  them  their 
blankets  which   thev  meant  to   sell   for   "refresh- 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  1!)7 

ment".    But  their  birch  canoe  upset  and  before  aid 
could  reach  them  they  were  drowned. ^^- 

But  relations  of  a  more  innocent  and  more  desir- 
able sort  also  existed.  In  the  officials  of  the  Terri- 
tory the  officers  at  the  fort  found  congenial  spirits. 
One  of  the  popular  pastimes  of  the  little  city  was  to 
ride  out  upon  the  frozen  Mississippi  in  sleighs  to 
Fort  Snelling.  "This  command",  narrates  an  offi- 
cial report,  "had  the  honor  of  receiving  His  Excel- 
lency W.  A.  Gorman  Gov.  of  Minnesota  and  the  Hon. 
James  Shields  late  of  the  U.  S.  Senate,  on  the  9th 
inst.  by  whom  the  Command  was  reviewed  &c.  in 
presence  of  a  large  concourse  of  Citizens. "  "^^^  The 
band  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  which  had  paraded 
through  the  streets  of  Mexico  City  playing  "Yankee 
Doodle"  now  found  occupation  in  playing  for  the 
balls  and  parties  of  the  frontier  town.  Even  the 
inhabitants  of  Stillwater,  twenty-five  miles  distant, 
called  on  tlie  fort  to  furnish  the  music  for  the  Valen- 
tine Ball  on  February  14,  1850."*  During  the  same 
month  a  concert  was  given,  the  proceeds  going  to  the 
Washington  Monument  Association.  A  year  later 
the  ladies  who  had  arranged  to  give  a  tea  party  to 
raise  money  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  children  of 
the  community  changed  their  plans  and  accepted  the 
offer  of  the  band  who  volunteered  to  give  a  concert 
for  the  purpose."^  The  value  of  this  association  of 
citizens  with  the  soldiers  led  to  the  remark  of  an 
editor  that  "AVe  consider  this  band  as  well  as  the 
whole  garrison,  with  its  liigh  intelligence  —  but  espe- 


198  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

cially  the  band,  of  infinite  value  to  St.  Paul  —  in  fact, 
it  is  the  most  powerful  element  of  influence  amongst 
us,  for  our  good,  next  to  the  pulpit  and  the  press."  ^^^ 

The  tourists  who  for  many  years  had  been  fre- 
quenting the  upper  Mississippi  now  increased  in 
numbers.  In  the  ''Drive  of  All  Visitors"  were  in- 
cluded the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  Lake  Harriet,  Min- 
nehaha Falls,  and  Fort  Snelling.^^^  From  the  look- 
out tower  of  the  fort  on  the  edge  of  the  cliif,  could 
be  viewed  the  same  scenery  which  had  charmed 
Carver  a  hundred  years  before.  Undoubtedly  many 
thought  as  did  the  newspaper  man  who  wrote :  "In 
the  contemplation  of  this  scene  from  Ft.  Snelling, 
one  is  ravished  with  a  desire  to  get  upon  it;  and  to 
appropriate  a  little  domain  for  his  home.  It  has 
the  look  of  home.  How  can  the  Sioux  ever  consent 
to  part  with  these  lands  ?"^"® 

But  two  years  later  they  did  part  with  them.  The 
two  treaties  in  which  the  cession  was  acknowledged 
were  brought  about  without  military  aid."'^^  This 
was  in  itself  prophetic  of  the  new  status  of  the  fort. 
With  the  growth  of  the  Territorial  organization,  one 
by  one  the  duties  connected  with  Indian  affairs, 
liquor  troubles,  and  the  protection  of  life  and  prop- 
erty were  taken  over  by  the  civil  officers,  with  the 
military  men  as  the  executors  of  their  laws  only 
when  the  regular  forces  of  administration  were  un- 
able to  handle  the  difficulties. 

And  now  the  fort  which  had  so  long  looked  down 
upon  the  canoes  of  the  Indians  and  traders  saw  on 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  199 

its  two  rivers  a  new  procession.  Flatboats,  steam- 
boats, and  canoes  bore  upstream  the  hardy  pioneers 
and  their  families,  and  returned  loaded  with  the 
products  of  the  farm  and  the  forest.  The  post  which 
could  have  successfully  resisted  the  attack  of  Indian 
warriors,  or  even  the  siege  of  a  civilized  enemy  was 
to  fall  before  the  invasion  of  the  pioneers.  The 
frontier  had  suddenly  leaped  far  to  the  westward. 
In  1858,  when  the  troops  were  withdrawn,  there  was 
no  need  of  an  establishment  such  as  had  existed  dur- 
ing the  first  forty  years.  It  was  the  passing  of  Old 
Fort  Snelling  which  for  so  man}'  years  had  been  the 
remotest  outpost  of  American  law. 

The  development  of  the  Northwest  was  not 
brought  about  by  the  spectacular  and  romantic  inci- 
dents which  the  chroniclers  loved  to  record.  So 
gradual  was  its  progress  that  the  factors  contribut- 
ing to  it  can  be  seen  only  in  the  perspective  of  fifty 
years.  It  was  the  result  of  the  monotonous  details 
of  the  life  of  the  fur  trader  who  was  the  unwitting 
explorer  of  the  Northwest,  and  the  forerunner  of  the 
permanent  resident.  The  routine  duties  of  garrison 
life  and  expeditions  to  the  Indian  country,  often  bar- 
ren of  any  visible  result,  added  to  its  progress,  as 
also  did  the  weary  marches  of  the  explorer  and  the 
minute  notations  of  the  scientist  who  accompanied 
him.  The  patient  sacrifices  of  the  missionary  who 
toiled  at  unaccustomed  labors  in  the  half-cleared 
cornfield  and  taught  his  primitive  pupils  in  the  log 
mission-house,  introduced  a  new  civilization.     The 


200  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

daily  contact  of  the  Indian  and  the  white  man  at  the 
fort  and  agency  were  prophetic  of  a  new  relationship 
between  the  two  races. 

But  because  these  events  were  so  commonplace  the 
contemporary  chroniclers  have  bequeathed  only  a 
brief  though  eloquent  epitome  of  this  old  Mississippi 
River  post.  It  was  the  exception  and  not  the  rule  to 
note  that  a  company  of  soldiers  was  up  the  river 
watching  the  movements  of  the  Indians,  that  a  mis- 
sionary had  been  presented  with  a  ham,  or  that  an 
explorer  took  with  him  so  many  vegetables  from  the 
gardens  of  the  fort  that  the  gunwale  of  his  boat  was 
brought  within  four  inches  of  the  water.  But  such 
are  the  stray  references  which  indicate  the  almost 
complete  dependence  upon  the  fort  of  all  the  factors 
in  the  development  of  the  Northwest. 

In  the  preceding  pages  an  attempt  has  been  made 
to  gather  together  from  all  sources  the  references 
which  bear  upon  each  particular  phase  of  the  pro- 
cess. In  most  cases  they  are  few,  not  because  the 
military  men  were  not  concerned  with  them,  but  be- 
cause at  every  post  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  condi- 
tions were  practically  the  same  and  the  public,  being 
acquainted  with  these  routine  duties,  was  more  inter- 
ested in  the  picturesque  Indian  legends  or  in  the 
duels  between  the  officers.  Of  these  latter  incidents 
the  pages  of  the  history  of  Fort  Snelling  are  full  and 
in  this  respect  it  was  typical  of  the  American  army 
post.     But  it  is  also  an  example  of  that  which  is  of 


CITIZENS  AND  SOLDIERS  201 

more  importance  —  the  contribution  of  the  army  to 
the  transformation  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

In  many  ways  Fort  Snelling  is  unique  in  the  list  of 
American  forts.  The  British  flag  was  borne  in  tri- 
umph to  wave  from  the  flagstaff  of  Fort  Ticonderoga 
after  it  had  been  evacuated  by  the  colonial  patriots 
during  the  dark  days  of  1777;  but  never  was  a  for- 
eign flag  borne  into  Fort  Snelling  except  to  be  burned 
in  the  sight  of  awestruck  Indians.  The  guns  of  Fort 
Sumter  announced  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War; 
never  were  the  cannon  at  Fort  Snelling  fired  at  a  foe. 
Mackinac  was  successively  garrisoned  by  French, 
English,  and  American  soldiers ;  whenever  occupied 
l)y  troops  Fort  Snelling  flow  the  stars  and  stripes. 
The  stockades  at  Boonesborough  and  Harrodstown 
were  besieged  by  hundreds  of  savages  who  fought  to 
gain  entrance  and  obtain  the  scalps  of  the  pioneer 
men  and  women  there  gathered  for  safety;  no  hostile 
demonstration  was  ever  staged  near  Fort  Snelling. 
Its  history  was  not  made  by  the  rifles  and  sabers  of 
the  soldiers ;  the  axe  and  the  plow  of  the  pioneer  who 
worked  in  safety  beneath  its  potential  protection 
have  left  their  history  upon  the  landscape  of  the 
great  Northwest. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES 


NOTES  AND  EEFERENCES 

CHAPTER  I 

1  Carver's  Travels  through  tlie  Interior  Parts  of  North- Am  erica, 
pp.  vii,  viii. 

2  To  the  region  lying  on  the  upper  waters  of  three  great  river 
systems  —  the  Mississippi,  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  Red  River  of 
the  North  —  the  writer  has  applied  the  name  "Upper  Northwest"  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  "Old  Northwest"  and  the  "Pacific  North- 
west". 

3  For  a  summary  of  tlie  French  explorations  see  Folwell  's  Minne- 
sota, pp.  1-29.  Thwaites's  France  in  America,  p.  74,  contains  an 
excellent  map  of  the  French  operations  in  the  West. 

4  The  report  of  Louis  Antoine  Bougainville,  written  in  1757  and 
based  on  the  reports  of  Canadian  officials,  shows  the  extent  of  French 
commerce  at  the  close  of  the  period  of  French  control.  At  Green 
Bay  (La  Baye)  trade  was  carried  on  with  the  Folles-Avoines,  Sacs, 
Foxes,  Sioux,  and  other  tribes,  the  annual  output  being  from  five  to 
six  hundred  packages  of  furs.  Li  the  North,  extending  westward 
along  what  is  now  the  international  boundary  to  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  and  then  along  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  Lake  Winnipeg 
system,  was  the  territory  of  the  post  knowii  as  ' '  Tlie  Sea  of  the 
West".  This  included  seven  forts  and  produced  a  yearly  supply  of 
from  three  to  four  hundred  packages.  ' '  These  regions  are  every- 
where vast  prairies;  this  is  the  route  to  take  for  the  upper  Missouri." 
—  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XVIII,  pp.  167-195.  A  pic- 
turesque account  of  tlio  life  of  the  French  traders  is  given  in  Neill 's 
The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  pp.  115-119. 

•'Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XVIII,  p.  251;  Turner's 
The  CJmraeter  and  Influence  of  the  Indian  Trade  in  WLsconsin  in  the 
Johns  Hopkins  University  Studies  in  Historical  and  Political  Science, 
Vol.  IX,  pp.  584,  585. 

205 


206  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

6  Thwaites's  Original  Journals  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition, 
Vol.  VII,  p.  373.  In  1792,  Peter  Grant  built  a  trading  house  on  the 
site  of  St.  Vincent,  Minnesota,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Red  River, 
and  in  1800-1801  the  fort  of  Pembina  was  erected  by  the  great  trav- 
eller, Alexander  Henry,  the  younger.  —  South  Dakota  Historical  Col- 
lections, Vol.  I,  p.  138. 

7  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  I,  p.  684. 

8  Thwaites's  Original  Journals  of  the  Lewis  and  Clarl:  Expedition, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  227,  228.  Traders  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  also 
frequented  the  spot.  Sergeant  John  Ordway  records  in  his  journal  for 
December  1,  1804,  that  ' '  a  Scotsman  who  is  tradeing  at  the  Mandens 
came  to  visit  us.  he  belonged  to  the  hudson  bay  company.  .  .  . 
he  brought  over  Tobacco  Beeds  &  other  kinds  of  Goods.  &  traded  with 
the  Mandens  for  their  furs  Sc  buffalow  Robes,  they  bring  Some  Guns 
to  trade  for  horses  &.  C  this  hudsons  bay  compy  lay  Garrisoned  near 
the  N.  W.  Compy  ....  Eight  or  10  days  travel  by  land  a  North 
course  from  this. ' '  —  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XXII, 
p.  169. 

9  Chittenden 's  The  History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far 
West,  Vol.  II,  p.  556. 

10  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pile,  Vol.  I,  pp.  279,  280. 

11  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  286. 

12  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  280. 

13  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  156. 

14  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  171. 

1"'  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  252. 

16  Wilkinson's  instructions  to  Pike  are  printed  in  Coues's  The  Ex- 
peditions of  Zehulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  II,  pp.  842-844.  Before  the  found- 
ing of  Fort  Snelling  the  Minnesota  River  was  called  by  the  French 
voyageurg  the  "St.  Pierre".  When  the  Americans  were  established 
on  its  banks  they  anglicized  this  name  into  "St.  Peter's".  The  fort, 
the  agency,  and  the  fur  traders'  establishment  are  commonly  referred 
to  in  early  literature  as  "St.  Peter's".  By  a  joint  resolution  of 
Congress  on  .June  19,  1852,  the  name  Minnesota  was  ordered  to  be  used 
in  all  public  documents  in  which  the  river  was  mentioned.  This  was 
the  Indian  name   for  the  river.  —  United  States  Statutes  at  Large, 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  207 

Vol.  X,  p.  147.     In  mentioning  this  river  use  is  made  in  tliis  volume 
of  the  modern  name,  except  when  quoting. 

1"  The  account  of  the  treaty  is  given  in  Coues's  The  Expeditions 
of  Zebulon  M.  Pile,  Vol.  I,  pp.  83,  84.  The  treaty  itself  is  printed 
on  page  2.31  and  Pike's  speech  on  pages  226-230.  Article  I  contains 
the  land  cession :  ' '  That  the  Sioux  nation  grant  unto  the  United 
States,  for  the  purpose  of  establishment  of  military  jiosts,  nine  miles 
square  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  also  from  below  tiie  conlluence 
of  the  Mississippi  and  St.  Peters  up  the  Mississippi  to  include  the 
falls  of  St.  Anthony,  extending  nine  miles  on  each  side  of  the  river, 
that  the  Sioux  nation  grants  to  the  United  States  the  full  sovereignty 
and  power  over  said  district  forever. ' '  The  meaning  of  all  this  is 
extremely  vague. 

^^  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  I,  p.  798. 

'^^Publications  of  the  Canadian  Archives,  No.  7,  Documents  Eclat- 
ing to  the  Invasion  of  Canada  and  the  Surrender  of  Detroit,  1812, 
pp.  11,  13. 

20  A  petition  of  the  London  merchants  to  the  English  government 
stated  that  before  the  war  the  annual  export  of  furs  from  Canada 
amounted  to  £250,000.  Updyke's  The  Diplomacy  of  the  War  of  1812, 
p.  204. 

21  PtiMications  of  the  Canadian  Archives,  No.  7,  Documents  Eclat- 
ing to  the  Ijivasion  of  Canada  and  the  Surrender  of  Detroit,  1812, 
l.p.  72,  73. 

--Publications  of  the  Canadian  Archives,  No.  7,  Documents  Eclat- 
ing to  th-e  Invasion  of  Canada  and  th-e  Surrender  of  Detroit,  1812, 
pp.  66-69.     The  figures  are  given  on  page  69. 

-^■Publications  of  the  Canadian  Archives,  No.  7,  Documents  Eclat- 
ing to  the  Invasion  of  Canada  and  the  Surrender  of  Detroit,  1812, 
p.  184. 

-i  The  best  account  of  the  massacre  at  Fort  Dearborn  is  given  in 
Quaife's  Chicago  and  the  Old  Northwest,  1673-1835.  pj).  211-231. 

25  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XIX,  p.  323. 

2"  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p^'.  120, 
194. 


208  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

2T  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XV,  p.  219. 
It  must  be  stated  that  the  British  in  no  way  sought  intentionally  to 
use  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  massacreing  the  whites.  The  in- 
structions to  Dickson  declared  that  he  "should  restrain  them  by  all 
the  means  in  your  power  from  acts  of  Cruelty  and  inhumanity".  On 
March  16,  1813,  Dickson  reported  to  the  military  secretary  at  Quebec 
that  he  had  taken  steps  to  redeem  the  soldiers,  women,  and  children 
of  the  ill-fated  Fort  Dearborn  garrison,  who  were  still  captives.  — 
Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XV,  pp.  258,  259. 

28  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XV,  pp.  321, 

29  There  is  a  summary  of  Dickson 's  activities  in  the  Wisconsin 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  133-153. 

soNiles'  Register,  Vol.  VI,  p.  176. 

31  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  10;  Niles'  Beg- 
ister,  Vol.  VI,  p.  242. 

32  WisconMn  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XI,  pp.  254-270. 

33  Treaties  and  Conventions  concluded  between  ths  United  States  of 
America  and  other  powers  since  July  4,  1776,  pp.  404,  405. 

^i  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  pp.  10,  11; 
Chittenden's  The  History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far 
West,  Vol.  II,  p.  561.     • 

35  These  treaties  were  concluded:  on  July  18th  with  the  Potta- 
wattomies  and  Piankashaws;  on  July  19th  with  the  Tetons  and  Sioux 
of  the  Lakes,  Sioux  of  St.  Peter 's  Eiver,  and  Yankton  Sioux ;  Septem- 
ber 2nd  with  the  Kickapoos;  September  8th  with  the  Wyandots;  Sep- 
tember 12th  with  the  Osages;  September  13th  with  the  Sacs  of  the 
Missouri;  September  14th  with  the  Foxes;  September  16th  with  the 
lowas.  The  treaties  are  published  in  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws 
and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  110-123.  Tlie  reports  of  the  commissioners 
and  also  the  treaties  are  printed  in  the  American  State  Papers,  Indian 
Affairs,  Vol.  II,  pp.  1-11. 

36  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  9. 

37  For  these  migrations  see  the  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XXIII,  pp.  97,  443;  Kingsford's  The  History  of 
Canada,  Vol.  IX,  p.  69;  Beport  on  Canadian  Archives,  1896,  p.  157. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  209 

During  the  negotiations  at  Ghent  the  British  commissioners  had 
aought  to  have  established  a  permanent  Indian  territory  to  be  a  bar- 
rier state  between  the  two  powers.  —  Updyke  's  The  Diplamacy  of  the 
War  of  1812,  p.  204. 

The  Indians  felt  they  had  been  abandoned  by  the  En^jlish.  Hence 
the  liberality  in  gift  distribution  was  an  attempt  to  appease  them. 

38  See  the  reports  of  W.  H.  Puthuff  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  XIX,  pp.  430-433,  472-474. 

39  Schoolcraft's  Personal  Memoirs  of  a  Residence  of  Thirty  Years 
with  the  Indian  Tribes,  p.  19. 

40  Irving 's  The  Sketch-Booh  (Hudson  Edition),  p.  489. 

41  Carr's  Missouri,  p.  121. 

i^Xiics'  Register,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  436,  August  19,  1S15. 

43  American  State  Papers,  Indinn  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  86. 

44  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  332.  John  Jacob 
Astor  of  the  American  Fur  Company  has  received  the  credit  for  the 
passage  of  this  law. — ^Folwell's  Minnesota,  p.  54;  Coman's  Economic 
Beginnings  of  the  Far  West,  Vol.  I,  pp.  344,  345.  This  is  neglecting 
the  fact  that  there  was  a  unanimous  outcry  against  foreign  traders  — 
one  of  the  signs  that  the  War  of  1812  marks  the  rise  of  American 
nationality.  The  legislation  of  April  29,  1816,  was  not  wholly  satis- 
factory to  Astor.  ' '  I  have  seen  a  letter ' ',  wrote  William  H.  Puthuff, 
Indian  agent  at  Mackinac,  "addressed  by  J.  J.  Astor  to  a  Mr.  Franks 
a  British  trader  now  at  this  place  in  which  Mr.  Astor  expresses  sur- 
prise and  regret  at  the  passage  of  a  law  forbidding  British  subjects 
from  trading  with  Indians,  within  the  American  limits  etc."  —  Wis- 
consin Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XIX,  p.  423.  What  Mr.  Astor 
wanted  was  the  prohibition  of  trade  by  American  private  citizens 
as  well  as  by  British  private  citizens.  If  his  American  Fur 
Company  were  given  a  monopoly  as  he  desired,  he  also  wanted  to  be 
free  to  employ  such  persons  —  American  or  British  —  as  he  needed. 

45  Or,  more  correctly  from  the  point  where  a  north  and  south  line 
drawn  through  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
wouM  intersect  tliis  j)arallel.  —  Treaties  and  Conventions  concluded 
between  the  United  States  of  America  and  other  powers  since  July  I, 
1776,  p.  416. 


210  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

40  Treaties  and  Conventions  concluded  tetween  the  United  States 
of  America  and  other  poicers  since  July  4,  1776,  p.  377. 

47  Cones 's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  PiJce,  Vol.  I,  p.  279. 

isNiles'  Begister,  Vol.  XIV,  pp.  387-389. 

49  There  is  an  excellent  account  of  the  United  States  trading  house 
system  in  Quaife's  Chicago  and  the  Old  Northwest,  1673-1835,  pp. 
289-309. 

50  Coues's  The  Expeditions  of  Zehulon  M.  Fike,  Vol.  I,  p.  228. 

51  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

52  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  p.  39. 

CHAPTEE  II 

53  For  the  erection  of  these  posts  see  Quaife's  Chicago  and  the  Old 
Northwest,  1673-1835,  p.  265;  Thwaites's  Wisconsin,  pp.  180-182; 
Gue's  History  of  Iowa,  Vol.  I,  pp.  137,  138. 

54  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  I,  p.  669. 

55  Major  Long's  journal  is  printed  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Col- 
lections, Vol.  II,  pp.  9-88. 

56iV'i?es'  Begister,  Vol.  XIV,  p.  192. 

57  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  I,  p.  779. 

58Neill's  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  p.  319. 

59  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  32. 

60  The  story  of  the  Yellowstone  Expedition  is  narrated  in  detail  in 
Chittenden's  The  History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far 
West,  Vol.  II,  pp.  562-587.  See  also  the  preface  to  James's  Account 
of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburgh  to  the  Bocky  Mountains  in 
Thwaites's  Early  Western  Travels,  Vol.  XIV,  pp.  9-26.  For  the  site 
of  this  fort  see  Thwaites's  Early  Western  Travels,  Vol.  XXII,  p.  275, 
note  231. 

61  Executive  Docvments,  1st  Session,  34th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Pt.  2, 
Document  No.  1,  p.  21. 

62  Leavenworth 's  A  Genealogy  of  the  Leavenworth  Family  in  the 
United  States,  p.  152. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  211 

63  Van  Cleve's  '*  Three  Score  Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories 
of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  p.  7. 

64  In  the  Detroit  Gazette,  February  18,  1820,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  135, 
there  is  reprinted  from  the  National  Intelligencer  an  *  *  Extract  of  a 
letter  from  a  gentleman  of  the  expedition  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Antliony, 
to  his  friend  in  Washington,  dated  Cantonment  of  tlie  5th  regt.  U.  S. 
Infantry,  St.  Peter's  Eiver,  Nov.  10,  1819."  It  is  from  this  letter 
that  the  dates  of  arriving  at  and  leaving  the  various  places  are  taken. 
The  Adjutant  General  in  an  order  praised  the  garrison  at  Fort  How- 
ard ' '  for  the  economy  and  expedition  with  wliich  the  command  con- 
structed transport  boats  for  the  accommodation  of  the  5th  regiment 
in  its  passage  to  the  Mississippi. ' '  —  Detroit  Gazette,  September  10, 
1819, 

65  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  V,  p.  96,  note.  Mrs.  Van 
Cleve  gives  another  version  of  tliis  affair :  ' '  "When  all  was  in  order, 
Colonel  Leavenworth  stepped  forth,  and,  through  an  interjjreter,  for- 
mally requested  of  the  Cliief  permission  to  pass  peaceably  tlirough 
their  country.  The  Cliief,  a  very  handsome  young  brave,  advanced, 
and,  with  his  right  arm  uncovered,  said,  with  most  exjiressive  gestures: 
'My  brother,  do  you  see  the  calm,  blue  sky  above  us?  Do  you  see  the 
lake  that  lies  so  peacefully  at  our  feet?  So  calm,  so  peaceful  are 
our  hearts  towards  you.  Pass  on!'  "  —  Van  Cleve's  "Three  Score 
Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories  of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota, 
p.  11. 

Tliat  these  Indians  were  not  so  friendly  as  this  account  would  indi- 
cate is  apparent  from  the  statement  in  Major  Forsyth's  narrative 
that  Captain  Whistler  of  Fort  Howard  had  been  fired  at,  at  different 
times  during  the  summer  of  1819  l)y  tliese  Winnebagoes.  —  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  ji.  167. 

60  Major  Forsyth's  narrative,  covering  the  time  from  his  depart- 
ure from  St.  Louis  on  .Tune  7th  until  his  arrival  there  again  on  Sej*- 
teml>er  17th,  is  published  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol. 
Ill,  pp.  1.39-167;  also  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol. 
VI,  pp.  188-219.  It  is  from  this  narrative  that  the  facts  regarding 
the  progress  of  the  expedition  were  obtained. 

67  Major  Forsyth 's  narrative  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collec- 
tions, Vol.  TIT,  ])p.  147,  148,  149. 

f'»  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  TIT,  p.  119;   Van  Clove's 


212  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

"Three  Score  Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories  of  Fort  Snelling, 
Minnesota,  p.  15. 

69  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  149-153,  159. 
Mrs.  Van  Cleve  says  that  a  few  days  were  spent  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Pepin. —  Van  Cleve 's  "Three  Score  Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long 
Memories  of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  p.  16.  Mrs.  Ellet  in  her  sketch 
of  Mrs.  Clark  says  a  week  was  spent  at  this  place.  —  Ellet 's  Pioneer 
Women  of  the  West,  p.  350. 

70  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  153,  154.  Neill 
records  that  the  troops  did  not  reach  the  Minnesota  Eiver  ' '  until 
September". — ^  Neill' s  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition), 
p.  320.  But  in  Appendix  L.,  p.  891,  he  gives  the  same  dates  as  For- 
syth. In  FolweU's  Minnesota,  p.  55,  the  statement  is  made  that  "the 
command  arrived  at  Mendota  August  23".  As  the  main  body  of 
soldiers  did  not  arrive  until  August  24th,  this  latter  date  should  be 
taken  as  the  birthday  of  Fort  Snelling. 

"1  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  154-157;  Detrait 
Gazette,  October  22,  1819,  February  18,  1820. 

■^2  Detroit  Gazette,  February  18,  1820. 

"3  A^an  Clove's  "Three  Score  Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories 
of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  pp.  18,  19.  The  baby  was  Charlotte 
Ouisconsin  Clark  who  married  General  Horatio  P.  Van  Cleve.  In 
1888  she  published  a  book  of  reminiscences.  It  possesses  all  the 
merits  and  defects  of  a  book  of  reminiscences  —  vividness  of  pic- 
tures — ■  inaccuracy  in  regard  to  specific  facts. 

74  Ellet 's  Pioneer  Women  of  tlie  West,  p.  351;  Minnesota  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  48. 

75  Mrs.  Van  Cleve,  who  received  her  information  from  her  father, 
gives  the  number  as  forty.  —  Van  Cleve 's  "Three  Score  Years  and 
Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories  of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  p.  19.  James 
Doty,  who  kept  the  official  journal  of  the  Cass  Expedition  of  1820, 
and  who  received  his  information  from  the  officers  at  Camj)  Cold 
Water,  gives  the  number  as  forty.  —  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  XIII,  p.  214.  Philander  Prescott  in  his  reminiscences  states 
that  ' '  Some  fifty  or  sixty  had  died,  and  some  ten  men  died  after  I 
arrived ' '.  —  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  478.  L. 
Grignon  wrote  on  April  3,  1820,  that  "They  t^'ll  me  that  fifty  Sol- 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  213 

diers  of  the  river  St.  Pierre  have  died  of  Scurvy ' '.  —  JViscoiisin  His- 
torical Collections,  Vol.  XX,  p.  161. 

In  writing  of  the  attack  of  scurvy  Mr.  H.  H.  Sibley  remarks: 
' '  It  was  doubtless  caused  by  the  bad  quality  of  the  provisions,  espe- 
cially of  the  pork,  which  was  spoiled  by  the  villany  of  the  contractors, 
or  their  agents,  in  drawing  the  brine  from  the  barrels  that  contained 
it,  after  leaving  St.  Louis,  in  order  to  lighten  the  load,  and  causing 
the  barrels  to  bo  refilled  with  river  water,  before  their  delivery  at  the 
post,  to  avoid  detection.  The  troops  were  compelled  to  live  on  this 
unwholesome  fare  for  two  successive  seasons,  before  the  fraud  was 
discovered."  —  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I.  pp.  473,  47-i. 
Nowhere  else  is  this  explanation  given.  Sickness  could  easily  come 
at  a  frontier  post  without  such  villainy.  During  the  same  winter  at 
Camp  Missouri  over  half  of  the  garrison  of  seven  hundred  men  were 
sick,  and  nearly  one  himdred  of  them  died.  At  Council  Bluflf  there 
was  also  a  great  <leal  of  sickness.  —  Detroit  Gazette,  July  i'l.  Septem- 
ber 1,  1820. 

76  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  p.  473. 

""  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  103 

"8  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  47S,  47!». 

''•>  Beports  of  Committees,  1st  Session,  35th  Cong;-ess,  Vol.  II,  Re- 
port No.  351,  p.  136. 

so  These  facts  are  from  the  reminiscences  of  Philander  Preseott  in 
the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  478,  479. 

81  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  105. 

*-2  Snelling  to  Taliaferro,  November  7,  1821.  —  Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  I,  No.  30. 

83  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II.  p.  107.  Mrs.  Van 
Cleve  states  that  the  fort  was  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1821.  —  Van 
Cleve's  "Three  Score  Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories  of  Fort 
Snelling,  Minnesota,  p.  32. 

84  Indian  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  153. 

s"' Schoolcraft's  Narrative  Journal  of  Travels  from  Detroit  North- 
west through  the  Great  Chain  of  American  Lakes  to  the  sources  of 
the  Mississippi  Elver,  pp.  292-315.  The  official  journal  was  kept  l»y 
.fames  Doty.  The  time  spent  with  Leavenworth's  troops  is  described 
ill  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XTII,  |ip.  212-216. 


214  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

86  Captain  Kearny 's  journal  is  printed  in  the  Missouri  Historical, 
Society  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  8-29,  99-131.  Pages  104-110  are 
devoted  to  the  time  spent  at  Camp  Cold  Water. 

87  These  facts  regarding  the  change  of  the  name  are  taken  from 
Upham's  The  Jl^omen  and  Children  of  Fort  St.  Anthony,  Later  named 
Fort  Snelling  in  the  Magazine  of  History,  Vol.  XXI,  pp.  38,  39.  Dr. 
Upham  received  his  information  from  a  letter  from  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral of  the  United  States. 

CHAPTER  III 

88  See  Miss  Gallaher's  article  on  The  Military-Indian  Frontier 
1830-1835  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  XV,  pp. 
393-428. 

89  Langham  to  Taliaferro,  August  19,  1820.  —  Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  I,  No.  62. 

^(>  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  117. 

91  Neill's  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  p.  901. 

92  Marsh  to  Taliaferro,  June  26,  1827.  —  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol. 
I,  No.  76. 

o"*  This  was  the  opening  of  the  Winnebago  War,  often  called  the 
"Red  Bird  War".  Accounts  of  it  are  given  in  William  Joseph  Snell- 
ing's  Early  Days  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  V,  pp.  144-153 ;  and  State  Papers,  1st  Session,  20t]i 
Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  pp.  150-163. 

^•^  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  118. 

9'>  For  the  movement  of  troops  see  State  Papers,  1st  Session,  20th 
Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  pp.  150-163. 

96  Taliaferro  to  Cass,  October  4,  18S2.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1832, 
No.  226. 

97  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  pp.  439,  440,  459;  Neill's  The  History  of  Minnesota 
(Fourth  Edition),  pp.  483-487. 

98  For  an  account  of  the  Winnebagoes  and  their  many  migrations 
see  Jackson's  A  Century  of  Dishonor,  pp.  218-256. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  215 


^^  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session.  31st  Congi-ess,  Vol.  Ill,  Pt.  2, 
Document  Xo.  5,  pp.  1028,  1029;  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  September 
IH,  1849. 

100  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  November  28,  December  12,  1849. 

101  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Pt.  3, 
Document  No.  2,  p.  421.  ''The  recent  arrival  at  Fort  Snelling  of  a 
company  of  dragoons,  so  long  wanted,  will  greatly  assist  in  intercept- 
ing the  migration  southward  of  this  discontented  people. ' '  —  Report 
of  Alexander  Ramsey,  October  21,  1850,  in  Senate  Documents,  2nd 
Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  p.  81. 

<02  This  reservation  was  agreed  upon  by  the  treaty  concluded  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  on  February  27,  1855;  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs, 
Laics  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  690-693. 

''03  Senate  Documents,  2nd  Session,  28th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  pp.  316,  423. 

i04Bryce's  The  Ecmarlahle  History  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
ininy,  pp.  365-372.  A  description  of  a  hunt,  written  in  French  by 
Rev.  M.  Belcourt,  is  given  iu  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st 
Congress,  Vol.  VIII,  Document  No.  51,  pp.  44-52. 

''0^  Executive  Docwments,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  Vill, 
Document  No.  51,  p.  4. 

106  This  was  during  the  period  that  Professor  William  A.  Dunning 
describes  as  "The  Roaring  Forties".  "And  the  far  flung  interests 
of  the  British  Empire  need  no  more  striking  illustration  than  the  fact 
that  in  whatever  direction  the  Americans  sought  to  expand  their 
bounds,  whether  on  the  Atlantic  or  on  the  Pacific,  in  th.e  Gulf  of  the 
tropics  or  under  the  Arctic  circle,  they  found  subjects  of  the  Queen, 
with  vested  rights,  oi>posing  the  movement."  —  Dunning 's  Tlte  Brit- 
ish Empire  and  the  United  States,  jip.  96,  97. 

107  Captain  Sumner's  report  is  ]irintoil  in  tlie  Executive  Docu- 
ments, 1st  Session,  29th  Congi-ess,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  2,  pp.  217- 
220.  It  is  rejirinted  witli  ox]il:inatory  notes  in  The  loira  Journal  of 
History  and  Politics,  Vol.  XI,  ]ip.  258-267. 

108  The  report  of  Major  Woo^hs  is  printed  in  Executive  Documents, 
1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  VlII,  Document  No.  51.  It  contains 
fifty-five  pages.     Accomj)anying  the  expedition  was  John  F'ope,  Brevet 


f 


216  OLD  FOKT  SNELLING 

Captain  of  the  Topographical  Engineers.  His  report  is  published  in 
Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  X,  Document  No. 
42.     There  is  an  excellent  map  attached  to  the  report. 

109  Colonel  Smith's  report  is  printed  in  the  Executive  Documents, 
2nd  Session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Pt.  II,  Document  No.  1,  pp. 
426-454. 

110  Ansel  Briggs  to  the  Secretary  of  "War.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1849,  No.  206.  The  petition  was  dated  Washington,  Iowa,  July  31, 
184:9.  — Indian  Office  Files,  1849,  No.  208. 

111  Major  Woods's  report  is  found  in  the  Indian  Office  Files,  1849, 
No.  174. 

112  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  April  3,  1850. 

113  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  May  16,  1850. 

114  See  the  letter  of  William  Hutchinson,  who  was  one  of  the  party. 
It  is  published  in  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  June  13,  1850.  "Iowa  City 
looks  as  it  tlid  five  years  ago ' ',  he  wrote.  * '  A  few  houses  were  buUt 
since  that  time;  but  evidently  were  not  the  capitol  located  at  this 
place,  it  would  be  no  great  shakes,  though  in  time  it  is  bound  to 
come  out.  Some  years  since.  Uncle  Sam  erected  expensive  bridges 
for  the  good  citizens  of  Iowa,  betwixt  Dubuque  and  Iowa  City;  and 
strange  to  say  the  people  are  suffering  them  to  rot  down  without  cov- 
ering them.  Iowa  City  has  grown  in  ten  years  as  large  as  Saint  Paul, 
which  is  not  2  years  old.  Steamboats  often  get  up  to  this  place,  but 
all  will  not  sufiice. " 

115  Eeport  of  Major  Woods.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1850,  No.  363. 

116  The  lotva  Star  (Fort  Des  Moines),  July  18,  1850. 

117  The  Ajinals  of  Iowa  (First  Series),  Vol.  VII,  pp.  284,  285. 
"Part   of   Company   D.    1st   regiment   of   U.    S.   Dragoons   under 

command  of  Lieut.  Gardner  passed  through  here  on  their  way  to  the 
Missouri  river.  We  understand  they  intend  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  In- 
dian tribes  on  the  upper  Missouri  and  from  thence  across  Minnesota 
Territory  to  their  quarters  at  Ft.  Snelling. ' '  —  Quoted  from  the  Fort 
Des  Moines  Gazette  in  the  Miners'  Express  (Dubuque),  September  4, 
1850.  The  return  of  the  troops  to  Fort  Snelling  is  noted  in  The 
Minnesota  Pioneer,  October  3,  1850. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  217 

lis  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  32nd  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Pt. 
3,  Document  No.  2,  p.  28-4.  An  account  of  the  journey  is  printed  in 
Tlw  Minnesota  Pioneer,  February  12,  1852. 

119  Asa  Whitney,  a  New  York  merchant,  x'etitioned  Congress  in 
January,  1845,  for  a  franchise  and  a  grant  of  land  to  make  this  dream 
a  reality.  —  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  28th  Congress,  pp.  218, 
219. 

120  Act  of  March  3,  1S5S.  — United  Slates  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol. 
X.  p.  219. 

121  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  33rd  Congress,  Document 
No.  91,  pp.  1,  13,  74. 

^--Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  36th  Congress,  Document  No. 
56,  p.  36;  Post  Beturns,  May,  1853,  in  the  archives  of  the  War  De- 
partment, Washington,  D.  C. 

123  A  brief  account  of  the  expedition  is  given  in  Paxson's  Tlie  Last 
American  Frontier,  pp.  197-203.  The  reports  of  all  the  surveys  were 
published  by  the  government.  That  of  Governor  Stevens  consists  of 
651  pages,  added  to  the  report  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  published  in 
Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  33rd  Congress,  Document  No.  91. 
In  1859  Governor  Stevens  submitted  a  Narrative  and  Final  Report, 
]iublished  in  two  parts  in  the  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  36tli 
Congress,  Document  No.  56.  The  various  reports  of  all  the  explorers 
are  bound  in  a  set  of  twelve  volumes,  in  which  Governor  Stevens's 
first  account  may  be  found  in  Vol.  I,  and  the  later  narrative  in  Vol. 
Xir.  Pts.  I  and  TI. 

1 24  Order  No.  7  stated :  "  It  is  considered  of  great  consequence 
that  the  several  trains  should  not  be  intei'mingled;  and  the  dragoons 
attached  to  the  several  parties  will  continue  with  them,  camj)ing  and 
working  with  them,  receiving  their  orders  only  from  their  j)articular 
chiefs,  even  when  the  whole  force  is  brought  together."  —  Executive 
Documents,  2nd  Session,  33rd  Congress,  Document  No.  91,  p.  46. 

i 2^  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  28th  Congress,  Vol.  1.  Docu- 
ment No.  2,  p.  112. 

i2flKappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laics  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  p.  566. 

i27Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laics  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  567- 
570. 


218  OLD  FORT  SXELLIXG 


12S  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  X,  Pt.  I,  p.  181. 

129  Eocecutive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  p.  161. 

130  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document 
No.  1,  pp.  180-183. 

131  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  July  19,  1849. 

132  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  September  6,  1849,  July  11,  November 
21,  1850. 

^si  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  X,  Pt.  I,  pp.  193,  199. 

is^Kappler's  Indi-an  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp,  588- 
593. 

135  Holcombe's  Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries,  Vol.  II,  pp.  327,  328; 
Annals  of  Iowa  (First  Series),  Vol.  VII,  p.  290;  Post  Eeturns,  March, 
April,  1853,  in  the  archives  of  the  War  Department,  Washington, 
D.  C. 

136  For  Colonel  Smith 's  expedition  see  above.  Note  109.  For  the 
building  of  Fort  Abercrombie  see  the  Collections  of  the  State  His- 
torical Society  of  North  Dakota,  Vol.  II,  Pt.  II,  p.  7. 

13"  Bcports  of  Committees,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Ee- 
port  No.  351,  pp.  10-12. 

13S  Congressional  Gloie,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Pt.  Ill,  p.  2595. 

139  For  the  sale  of  Fort  Snelling  see  Dr.  Folwell  's  paper  on  The 
Sale  of  Fort  Snelling,  1857,  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  XV,  pp.  393-410. 

i-to  The  report  of  the  committee  may  be  found  in  Reports  of  Com- 
mittees, 1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Eeport  No.  351. 

141  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Pt.  Ill,  p.  2614. 

1*2  Congressional  Glohe,  1st  Session.  35th  Congress,  Pt.  Ill,  p.  2618. 

143  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  431. 

144  For  papers  relating  to  the  readjustment  see  Executive  Docu- 
ments, 3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII,  Document  No.  9. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  219 

CHAPTER  IV 

145  Quoted  in  Williams's  A  History  of  the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  pp. 
58,  59. 

14G  In  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  A'ol.  VIII,  pp.  430,  431, 
there  is  a  list  of  the  commanding  officers  from  September,  1819  to 
May,  1858. 

147  For  the  life  of  Henry  Leavenworth  see  the  Kansas  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  577,  578,  Vol.  IX,  p.  569,  Vol.  XI,  p.  xxi; 
Powell's  List  of  Officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  from  1779 
to  1900,  p.  428;  Chittenden's  The  History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade 
of  the  Far  West,  Vol.  II,  pp.  6.'50-632;  Leavenworth's  A  Genealogy 
of  the  Leavenworth  Family  in  the  United  States,  pp.  150-154. 

ii^  American  State  Papers,  Indian  Affairs,  Vol.  I,  p.  777. 

i49Ellet's  Pioneer  Women  of  the  West,  pp.  310-323,  contains  a 
sketch  of  the  activities  of  Captain  Snelling  during  the  war. 

isoEllet's  Pioneer  Women  of  the  West,  pp.  313,  314. 

151  Ellet's  Pioneer  Women  of  the  West,  p.  316. 

152  From  the  reminiscences  of  Mrs.  Ann  Adams  in  the  Mhuiesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  96.  97.  Mrs.  Adams,  as  a  child, 
lived  several  years  in  the  Snelling  household. 

153  Powell's  List  of  Officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  from 
1779  to  1900,  p.  599;   Ellet's  Pioneer  Women  of  the  West,  p.  334. 

154  From  a  manuscript  entitled  "Remarks  on  General  Wm.  Hull's 
Memoirs  of  the  Campaign  of  the  Northwestern  Army,  1812",  by 
.losiah  Snelling.  —  Draper  Collection,  8  U.  114,  pp.  42,  43. 

155  The  Works  of  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  V,  p.  410. 

156  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  440.  441. 

157  See  the  sketch  of  Captain  Scott  in  Van  Cleve's  "Three  Score 
Years  and  Ten,"  Lifelong  Memories  of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota, 
j.p.  28,  29. 

^■'!i  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  T,  Document 
Xo.  1.  p.  367. 

i'''.»  There  is  a  sketch  of  Martin  Scott  in  tlic  Minnesota  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  180-187,  from  which  this  story  is  taken. 


220  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

100  Powell's  List  of  Officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States, 
from  1779  to  1900,  p.  577. 

^Gi  Xiies'  Register,  Vol.  73,  p.  130. 

162  The  frontispiece  of  Mrs.  Eastman's  Dahcotah;  or,  Life  and 
Legends  of  the  Sioux  around  Fort  Snelling  was  painted  by  Captain 
Eastman. 

163  Appletons'  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography,  Vol.  II,  p.  292. 

164  In  his  notes  to  Hiawatha  Longfellow  quotes  from  the  introduc- 
tion of  Mrs.  Eastman's  book,  p.  \\.  — Longfellow's  Complete  Poetical 
WorJcs  (Cambridge  Edition),  p.  666. 

165  Appletons'  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography,  Vol.  II,  p.  292. 

166  Powell's  List  of  Officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  from 
1779  to  1900,  p.  449;  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  p. 
441. 

167  The  National  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography,  Vol.  VIII, 
pp.  89,  90. 

168  Rhodes 's  History  of  the  United  States,  Vol.  IV,  p.  328. 

169  The  American  Annual  Cyclopaedia,  1863,  p.  816. 

170  Bancroft's  History  of  Oregon,  Vol.  II,  pp.  611,  612.  For  the 
career  of  General  Canby  see  Appletons'  Cyclopaedia  of  American 
Biography,  Vol.  I,  pp.  517,  518. 

171  This  incident  is  taken  from  Folsom's  Fifty  Years  in  the  North- 
west, pp.  755,  756.  Mr.  Folsom  says  he  took  it  "from  a  St.  Paul 
paper  of  1887". 

172  For  the  Dred  Scott  case  see  McMaster's  A  History  of  the 
People  of  the  United  States,  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  278,  279. 

173  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  I,  p.  50. 

174  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  564. 

175  United  States  Statrites  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  729-739. 

176  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IX,  p.  395. 

177  Quoted  from  the  complaint  of  the  agent,  Nathaniel  McLean, 
September  25,  1850,  in  Senate  Documents,  2nd  Session,  31st  Congress, 
Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  p.  106. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  221 

i's  Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  YI,  p.  249. 

i"9  Auto-hiography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Tali-aferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Eist&rical  Collections,  Vol.  YI,  pp.  253,  254. 

^ so  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Yol.  YI,  p.  353. 

1  SI  Taliaferro  to  Crawford,  July  15,  1S39.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1839,  No.  512. 

152  These  papers  are  in  the  possession  of  tlie  Minnesota  Historical 
Society.  The  dates  covered  in  these  diaries  are  from  December,  1830, 
to  June,  1831;  May  25  to  September  21,  1833;  May  23  to  August 
28,  1834. 

153  These  letters  are  in  the  possession  of  the  Minnesota  Historical 
Society.  In  A'olume  I  of  these  letters  is  the  following  notice: 
' '  These  326  letters,  are  part  of  the  great  mass  of  correspondence  re- 
ceived by  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro,  Indian  Agent  at  Fort  Snelling, 
1819-1840.  They  constitute  but  a  small  part  of  his  accumulations  in 
twenty  years.  The  rest  were  burned  in  his  house  at  Bedford,  Pa., 
in  18  It  was  a  great  loss  to  us,  as,  had  they  been  spared,  we  would 
have  received  all  of  them.  But  even  these  326  contain  a  large  amount 
of  valuable  material  for  Minnesota  history.  Even  as  autographs  they 
are  valuable,  [see  autobiograpliy  of  Taliaferro,  Yol.  6,  Coll.]  These 
letters  were  given  by  Maj.  T.  in  March,  1868.  Arranged,  boimd  and 
indexed  (by  J.  F.  W.)   1891." 

184  Photostatic  copies  of  many  of  these  letters  were  taken  and  are 
to  be  found  in  the  library  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  where 
they  were  consulted. 

183  These  letter  books  are  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Kansas 
State  Historical  Society  at  Topeka,  where  tlicy  were  consulted.  The 
only  volume  containing  letters  from  Major  Taliaferro  is  referred  to 
as  the  William  Clark  Papers,  Correspondence,  1830-1832. 

"i^^  Auto-hiography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Yol.  YI,  p.  253. 

187  Powell's  List  of  Officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  from 
1779  to  1900,  p.  620.  In  the  Taliaferro  Letters  are  many  letters 
from  William  Clark  and  Elbert  Herring  in  which  they  address  Mr. 
Taliaferro  as  "major". 


222  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

188  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I,  No.  11.  A  note  on  this  letter  gives 
these  dates. 

189  Nowhere  is  the  date  of  his  arrival  at  Fort  Snelling  given.  In 
his  autobiography  he  writes  of  his  journey:  "Jean  Baptiste  Fari- 
bault and  family,  had  gone  through  by  land,  in  charge  of  Colonel 
Leavenworth's  horses  and  cows". — -Minnesota  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  VI,  p.  198.  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1820  that  Faribault  per- 
formed this  service.  —  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p. 
103. 

190  Clark  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  August  20,  1832.  — //iduni 
Ojfice  Files,  1832,  No.  285.  For  his  resignation  see  Indian  Office 
Files,  1824,  No.  39, 

^^^  Taliaferro's  Diary,  March  24,  1831. 

192  Taliaferro  to  Crawford,  December  12,  1839. — Indian  Office 
Files,  1839,  No.  516. 

i93Neiirs  Tlw  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  pp.  337- 
339. 

194  In  the  report  for  1850  the  agency  at  St.  Peter's  is  designated  a 
"  Sub- Agency ".  —  Senate  Documents,  2nd  Session,  31st  Congress, 
Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  p.  103. 

195  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  339,  340. 

196  Indian  Office  Files,  1834,  No.  213,  1827,  No.  54,  1843,  No.  222. 

197  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  p.  341. 

CHAPTER  V 

198  See  Notes  on  Canada  and  the  North-West  States  of  America  in 
Blackwood's  Magazine,  Vol.  LXXVIII,  p.  323,  September,  1855. 
These  articles  by  Laurence  Oliphaut  were  later  published  in  book  form 
under  the  title  of  Minnesota  and  the  Far  West. 

199  This  is  the  height  given  in  Nicollet's  Report  intended  to  illiis- 
trate  a  Map  of  the  Hydrographical  Basin  of  the  Upper  Mississippi 
Biver,  p.  69. 

200  Seymour's  Sketches  of  Minnesota,  the  New  England  of  the 
West,  p.  103. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  223 

201  This  sketch  of  the  fort  is  obtained  from  the  map  of  Fort  Snell- 
ing  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  431;  ami 
from  a  Eeport  of  the  capacity  and  condition  of  the  barracks,  quarters, 
hospital,  storehmises,  ^-c,  at  Fort  SiieUing,  Minnesota  Territory,  mad^ 
to  the  Quwtei'master  General.  This  report  was  made  on  August  23, 
1856.  It  is  printed  in  Seports  of  Committees,  1st  Session,  35tli  Con- 
gress, Vol.  II,  Eeport  No.  351,  pp.  407-409. 

202  American  State  Papers,  Militai-y  Affairs,  Vol.  IV,  p.  122. 

203  Latrobe 's  The  Bambler  in  North  America,  Vol.  II,  p.  295. 

204  A  statement  of  the  equipment  at  the  various  posts  during  the 
fourth  quarter  of  1834  is  printed  in  the  American  State  Papers,  Mil- 
itary Affairs,  Vol.  V,  p.  853-900. 

205  Taliaferro  to  Lueas,  September  30,  1839.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1839,  No.  492. 

206  IndUm  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  153. 

207  Taliaferro  to  Williajn  Clark,  August  17,  lS?iO.  —  Indian  Office 
Files,  1830,  No.  139. 

20S  Taliaferro's  Diary,  April  7,  1831. 

209  Taliaferro's  Diary,  March  8,  1831, 

210  Taliaferro  to  Lucas,  September  30,  1S59.  — Indi-an  Office  Files, 
1839,  No.  492;  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol. 
VII,  Document  No.  9,  p.  19. 

211  Indian  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  153. 

^^2  Indian  Office  Files,  1834,  No.  207. 

2^3  Indian  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  153.  In  the  Sibley  House  at 
Mendota  is  hung  an  oil  painting  of  Fort  Snelling  made  by  Sergeaiit 
Thomas  who  was  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling  sometime  between  1836 
and  1842.  This  painting,  which  was  made  from  the  hill  behind  Sibley 
House,  shows  the  location  of  these  various  buildings. 

214  For  Baker's  house  see  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th 
Congress,  Vol.  VII,  Document  No.  9,  pp.  19,  33,  34;  also  Feports  of 
Committees,  1st  session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  IT,  T?eport  No.  351,  ]>. 
400. 

21-'-'  Latrolje's  The  liamhlcr  in  North  America,  Vol.  11,  pp.  295,  296. 
Charles  Joseph  Latrobe  visited  the  post  in  the  fall  of  1833. 


224  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

216  These  buildings  are  shown  in  the  picture  mentioned  in  note 
213,  above. 

217  There  is  a  description  of  Mendota  given  in  Seymour's  Sketches 
of  Minnesota,  the  New  England  of  the  West,  pp.  101,  102. 

21S  Seymour's  Sketclies  of  Minnesota,  the  New  England  of  the 
West,  p.  117;  Bishop's  Floral  Home;  or,  First  Tears  of  Minnesota, 
pp.  156,  157. 

219  These  figures  aie  taken  from  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Ex- 
pedition to  the  Source  of  St.  Peter's  Biver,  Vol.  I,  p.  309. 

22oLatrobe's  The  Rambler  in  North  America,  Vol.  II,  p.  302. 

221  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  pp.  37,  38 ;  Reports  of  Committees,  1st  Session,  35th 
Congress,  Vol.  II,  Eeport  No.  351,  p.  148. 

222"[jpham's  The  Women  and  Children  of  Fort  St.  Anthony,  later 
named  Fort  Snelling  in  The  Magazine  of  History,  Vol.  XXI,  p.  37. 

223  See  below,  the  chapter  entitled  Soldiers  of  the  Cross. 

224  This  enumeration  of  the  Indian  villages  is  from  Pond 's  The 
BaTcotas  or  Sioux  in  Minnesota  as  they  were  in  1834  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  320-330.  The  spelling  of  the 
names  follows  that  used  by  Pond,  although  they  were  all  written  in 
many  ways.  The  population  figures  are  from  Taliaferro's  report  in 
1834,  found  in  Indian  Office  Files,  1834,  No.  203. 

225  See  the  description  of  an  Indian  village  in  Latrobe  's  The 
Rambler  in  North  Amei'ica,  Vol.  II,  pp.  288,  289;  also,  Keating 's 
Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  tlie  Source  of  St.  Peter's  River,  Vol. 
I.  pp.  342,  343. 

CHAPTEE  VI 

226  On  December  22,  1819,  the  House  of  Representatives  passed  a 
resolution  directing  the  Secretary  of  War,  J.  C.  Calhoun,  to  prepare 
a  system  of  martial  law  and  field  service.  His  report  was  communi- 
cated to  the  House  on  December  26,  1820,  and  was  entitled  Systems 
of  Martial  Law,  and  Field  Service,  and  Police.  It  is  composed  of 
two  parts,  namely.  General  Regulations  for  the  Army,  and  A  System 
of  Martiul  Law.  It  is  from  these  regulations  that  the  following 
sketch  of  the  routine  life  at  a  military  post  is  built  up.     The  report 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  225 

is  published  in  the  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II, 
pp.  201-274. 

227  ingersoU's  A  History  of  the  War  Department  of  the  United 
States,  pp.  205,  206. 

-2s  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  119. 

229  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  210. 

-30  Minjiesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VT,  p.  95. 

231  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  210. 

23'^  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  pp.  217,  218. 

233  These  account  books  are  in  the  possession  of  the  Minnesota  His- 
torical Society. 

234  Bishop's  Floral  Home;  or.  First  Years  of  Minnesota,  p.  161. 

235  Taliaferro's  Diary,  March  22,  1831;  Post  Returns,  March,  1840, 
in  the  archives  of  the  War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

23G  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  97. 

237  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  345. 

238  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  336,  344. 

^■i'.)  American  State  Papers,  Military  Aff'airs,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  341, 
342 ;  Post  Betums,  September,  1828,  in  the  archives  of  the  War  De- 
jiartment,  Washington,  D.  C. 

2*0  Taliaferro's  Diary,  February  3,  1831. 

241  This  report  is  published  in  tlic  American  State  Papers,  Military 
Affairs,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  273-277. 

242  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  pp.  558,  706, 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  115. 

243  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  345. 

244  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  p.  476. 

2'i5  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  III.  pp.  ."-41,  342. 

246  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  277. 

2*7  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  \o].  II,  p.  205;  Min- 
nesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  j>.  101. 


226  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

248  Eastman's  DaJicotah;  or,  Life  and  Legends  of  the  Sioiuc  around 
Fort  SnelUng,  pp.  144,  145. 

240  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  II,  p.  265. 

230  Detroit  Gazette,  February  18,  1820. 

251  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  Siver,  Vol.  I,  p.  305. 

232  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  July  15,  1852. 

253  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  p.  26;  Post  Returns,  July,  1827,  in  the  archives  of 
the  War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

254  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  340. 

255  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  432. 

256  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  i">.  115. 

257  Joseph  M.  Street  to  Postmaster  General  Barry,  April  27,  1831. 
—  Street  Papers,  No.  15,  Historical  Department,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

258  Williams's  A  History  of  the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  p.  44. 

259  Proceedings  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  1913, 
pp.  116,  117. 

260  Taliaferro's  Diary,  April  2,  5,  10,  February  27,  1831, 

2G1  Street  to  Clark,  March  10,  1831.  —  William  Clarlc.  Papers,  Cor- 
respondence, 1830-1832,  p.  132 ;  Post  Beturns,  March,  1830.  See  also 
Post  Beturns,  December,  1829,  December,  1830,  in  the  archives  of  the 
War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

262  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  342. 

263  Beports  of  Committees,  1st  Session,  35th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Be- 
port  No.  351,  p.  131. 

26i  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  342. 

2^5  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  130.  "Monsieur 
Tonson"  was  a  very  popular  farce  written  by  W.  T.  Moncrief  in 
1821.  The  French  barber,  Morbleu,  is  greatly  troubled  by  a  steady 
stream  of  visitors  who  come  to  make  inquiries  regarding  a  certain 
fictitious  Mr.  Thompson,  hoping  thereby  to  gain  information  regard- 
ing Adolphine  de  Courcy  who  has  been  traced  to  his  door.  —  Walsh 's 
Heroes  and  Heroines  of  Fiction,  p.  360. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  227 

26fi  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  20,  Februai-y  22,  1831. 

267  Snelling  to  Taliaferro,  October  10.  July  25,  1824.  —  Taliaferro 
Letters,  Vol.  I,  Nos.  50,  56. 

26S  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  November  28,  1849. 

2<^»  Taliaferro's  Diary,  February  10,  11,  24,  1831. 

270  George  F.  Turner  to  H.  H.  Sibley,  February  11,  1842.  —  Sibley 
Papers,  1840-1850. 

2-1  Taliaferro  to  Street,  March  30,  l^?,!.  — Street  Papers,  No.  12. 

272  Minnesota  Historieal  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  100. 

273  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  112. 

274Xeiirs  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  p.  920. 
General  Edmund  P.  Gaines  inspected  the  post  shortly  afterwards  and 
reported:  "From  a  conversation  with  the  colonel.  I  can  have  no 
doubt  that  he  has  erred  in  the  course  pursued  liy  him  in  reference  to 
some  of  those  controversies,  inasmuch  as  he  has  intimated  to  his  offi- 
cers his  willinoness  to  sanction,  in  certain  cases,  and  even  to  par- 
ticipate in  personal  conflicts,  contrary  to  the  twenty-fifth  article  of 
war."  —  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  IV,  p.  123. 

275  Tali-aferro  's  Diary,  March  27,  1831. 

CHAPTER  VII 

2'G  Morse's  A  Hcport  to  the  Secretary  of  If'ur  of  the  United  States 
on  Indian  Affairs,  pp.  78,  79. 

-''Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  \)\\.  .■J21,  322. 

278  Indian  Office  Files,  1834,  No.  203. 

2T0  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  August  5,  18;!0.  —  William  Clark  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  ]>.  2. 

280  This  description  of  Indian  life  is  baseil  on  Pond  's  Tlic  Dakotas 
or  Sums  in  Minnesota  as  they  were  in  1834  in  the  Minnesota  His- 
torical Collections,  Vol.  XII,  ])p.  319-501. 

281  The  <|Uotations  are  taken  from  Beltrami's  descri))tion  of  an 
Indian  council  which  lie  .-ittended  at  Fort  Snelling  in  182)'..  —  Bel- 
trami's A  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and  America,  Vol.  II,  pji.  217-219. 


228  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

252  These  are  taken  from  a  list  which  is  typical  of  the  character  of 
the  presents,  among  the  papers  of  Thomas  Forsyth.  —  Draper  Manu- 
scripts, 2T2. 

253  Annals  of  Congress,  1st  session,  17th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  pp.  319, 
320. 

.284  Taliaferro's  Diary,  February  19,  1831.  The  speech  of  the  chief 
closes  thus :  ' '  We  know  you  have  nothing  on  hand  for  your  children, 
but  we  hope  you  will  give  us  some  Pork  &  Bread  &  a  little  Tobacco  — 
as  our  pipes  are  out  &  have  been  for  some  time  our  old  men  will  be 
pleased. ' '  The  village  of  the  Eed  Head  was  St.  Louis,  the  Bed  Head 
being  General  William  Clark,  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs. 

285  ' '  The  Crane  and  the  Hole  in  the  Day  —  and  other  Chippeways 
at  the  Agency  this  day  —  Several  Sissiton  Sioux  also  at  the  Agency. 
Issued  24  Rats  Bread  20  pounds  of  Pork  — 15  lbs.  of  tobacco."  — 
Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  23,  1831.  See  also  the  diary  under  the 
dates  of  December  24,  1830,  January  13,  17,  1831. 

256  Cass  to  Taliaferro,  July  28,  1825.  —  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I, 
No.  57. 

257  Taliafen-o's  Di-ary,  July  19,  1834. 

288  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  738. 

289  Taliaferro's  Diary,  March  4,  1831. 

290  Taliaferro  to  Harris,  February  21,  1838.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1838,  No.  631. 

291  For  the  suffering  during  the  winter  of  1842-1843  and  the  steps 
taken  to  relieve  it  see  the  letter  from  Dr.  Williamson  in  the  Mission- 
ary Herald,  Vol.  39,  p.  355,  September,  1843 ;  and  Bruce  to  Chambers, 
April  3,  1843.  in  Indi<in  Office  Files,  1843,  No.  222. 

292  Taliaferro  to  Dodge,  June  30,  1838.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1838, 
No.  690. 

293  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  March  3,  1831.  —  William  Clark  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  p.  129. 

294  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  September  14,  1834.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1834,  No.  206. 

295  Taliaferro 's  Diary,  July  7,  1834. 

296  Taliaferro's  Diary,  December  25,  1830. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  229 


237  Taliaferro's  Diary,  June  28,  30,  1834.  On  January  17,  1831,  he 
gave  a  blanket  in  which  to  bury  a  woman. 

298  Indian  Office  Files,  1832,  Nos.  287,  294,  295,  296. 

^^0  Aiito-biography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  236. 

300  Snelling  to  Taliaferro,  November  13,  1820.  —  Taliaferro  Let- 
ters, Vol.  I,  No.  21. 

301  Found  among  the  Sibley  Papers,  1830-1840. 

302  Taliaferro  to  Cass,  March  3,  1^22.  — Indian  Office  Files,  1832, 
No.  289. 

303  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  .July  15,  ISZl.— William  Clark  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  p.  235. 

304  Post  Beturiis,  April,  May,  1834,  July,  1835,  in  the  archives  of 
the  War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

305  ' '  These  warriors  of  Mr.  Eainville  's  were  constantly  with  nie, 
for  they  knew  that  I  was  an  English  warrior,  as  they  called  me,  and 
they  are  very  partial  to  the  English."  —  Marryat's  A  Diary  in  Amer- 
ica, Vol.  II,  p.  91.  Captain  Marryat,  the  English  novelist,  visited  the 
upper  Mississippi  region  in  1837. 

' '  Many  and  strong  are  the  recollections  of  the  Siou.x  and  other 
tribes,  of  their  alliance  with  the  British  in  the  last  and  revolutionary 
wars,  of  which  I  have  met  many  curious  instances".  —  Oatlin's  Let- 
ters and  Notes  on  the  Maimers,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North 
American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  p.  657,  footnote. 

30G  Niles'  Register,  Vol.  XXVI,  p.  363,  July  31,  1824;  Vol.  LIII, 
p.  33,  September  16,  1837. 

307  Marryat's  A  Diary  in  America,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  221,  222. 

308  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  p.  320. 

^o^Niles'  Register,  Vol.  LIII,  p.  82,  October  7,  1837. 

3ioSnelling  to  Taliaferro.  October  19,  lS2i.  —  Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  I,  No.  50. 

311  Taliaferro's  Diary,  March  18,  1831. 

^^2  Taliaferro's  Diary,  Marcli  11,  1831. 


280  OLD  FORT  SNELLTNG 

313  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  April  3,  1831.  —  William  Clarlc  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  p.  161. 

3i4Eenville  to  Sibley,  August  21,  1840.  —  Sibley  Papers,  1830-1840. 

3ir.  Quoted  in  Neill's  The  History  of  Minnesota,  pp.  338,  33.9.  The 
two  men  murdered  on  the  Missouri  Eiver  in  1820  were  Isadore  Pou- 
pon,  a  French  half-breed,  and  Joseph  F.  Andrews,  a  Canadian. 

3ifi  Quaife's  Chicago  and  the  Old  Northwest,  1673-1835,  p.  283. 

3iTSnelling  to  Taliaferro.  March  19,  1822.  — Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  I,  No.  32.  The  quotation  is  taken  from  this  letter.  See  also 
Calhoun  to  Snelling,  September  18,  1822.  —  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol. 
I,  No.  40. 

318  Letter  of  George  Johnson,  November  2,  1825.  —  Indian  Office 
Files,  1825-1826,  No.  4. 

319  Taliaferro  to  Harris,  September  10,  1838.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1838,  No.  663. 

CHAPTER  VIII 

320  Morse's  A  Report  to  tlie  Secretary  of  War  of  the  United  States 
on  Indian  Affairs,  p.  28. 

32iKellogg's  Early  Narratives  of  the  Northwest,  1634-1699,  p.  50. 

322  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  209. 

323  Baker  to  Taliaferro,  May  19,  1829.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1829, 
No.  64. 

324  Speech  of  Flat  Mouth,  May  27,  1827.  — Indian  Office  Files, 
1827,  No.  14. 

^•^r,  Indian  Office  Files,  1827,  No.  9. 

32(i  From  Mrs.  Van  Cleve's  reminiscences  in  the  Minnesota  His- 
torical Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  80. 

32T  The  information  upon  which  the  entire  incident  is  built  is  con- 
tained in  the  letter  of  Snelling  to  Atkinson,  May  31,  1827,  in  Indian 
Office  Files,  1827,  No.  10;  the  letter  of  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  May  31, 
1827,  in  Indian  Office  Files,  1827,  No.  12;  Neill's  The  History  of  Min- 
nesota, pp.  391-394;  Eeminiscences  of  Mrs.  Ami  Adams  in  the  Min- 
nesota Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  107-110;  A  Reminiscence 


NOTES  AND  REFEREXCES  231 

of  Ft.  Snelling,  by  Mrs.  Charlotte  O.  Van  Cleve,  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  76-81;  Sunning  the  Gantlet  by 
"William  J.  Snelling  (the  son  of  Colonel  Snelling)  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  pp.  4.'')9-456. 

The  last  mentioned  account  was  originally  published  as  a  magazine 
article,  and  much  of  it  is  undoubtedly  the  product  of  the  author's 
imagination.  It  is  from  this  that  the  wi'iter  drew  the  story  of  Too- 
punkah  Zeze.  The  article  by  Mrs.  Van  Cleve  is  full  of  errors  and 
there  are  some  mistakes  in  ]Mrs.  Adams's  reminiscences.  For  the 
facts  of  the  attack  the  writer  depended  upon  the  two  reports  in  the 
Indian  Office  Files.  In  a  letter  written  from  Prairie  du  Chien  the 
next  winter  Joseph  Street  says  that  a  hostage,  an  innocent  man,  was 
among  the  Sioux  who  were  executed.  —  Street  to  Dr.  Alexander  Posey, 
December  11,  1827,  in  the  Street  Papers,  No.  7. 

Of  those  who  were  shot,  says  Sibley  in  his  reminiscences,  all  re- 
covered.—  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  ]>.  47.").  On  the 
other  hand  Flat  Mouth  complained  to  Schoolcraft  in  lS;;ii  tiuit  four 
of  the  number  died.  —  Schoolcraft's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition 
through  the  Upper  Mississippi  to  Itasca  Lal'c,  p.  So. 

328  Indian  Office  Files.  1829,  No.  63. 

329  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  i>.  l.">5.  As  here  given 
the  mother's  speech  is  partly  direct,  and  partly  indirect  discourse. 
The  writer  has  changed  it  all  to  the  direct  discourse. 

330  The  attack  on  Hole-in-the-Day  's  band  is  narrated  in  the  letter 
of  Plympton  to  General  Jones,  August  13,  1838.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1838,  No.  618.  See  also  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pj). 
134-136;  Pond's  Tiro  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Bakotas,  pj). 
136,  137. 

331  The  ])artieulars  of  the  encounter  in  18;!9  are  given  in  a  letter 
written  by  the  Right  Reverend  Mathias  Loras  in  July  1839,  and  imli 
lished  in  Acta  et  Dicta:  A  Collection  of  historical  data  regarding 
the  origin  and  growtlt  of  the  Cath-olic  Church  in  the  Northwest,  Vol. 
T,  No.  1,  pp.  18-21;  and  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among 
the  Bakotas,  pp.  139-147. 

332  "Instead  of  lessening  the  disasters  of  Indian  warfare,  the 
building  of  Fort  Snelling  in  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country  an<l 
upon  the  line  dividing  the  ranges  of  the  Dakotas  and  the  Cliijipewas, 
had  the  direct  effect  of  vastly  increasing  the  horrors  of  that  warfare. 


232  OLD  FORT  SNBLLING 

Depending  upon  the  protection  of  the  military,  both  tribes  brought 
their  women  and  children  into  the  disputed  territory,  where  before 
the  coming  of  the  soldiers  they  would  never  have  dared  to  expose 
them,  and  it  soon  developed  that  the  fort  afforded  no  protection  to  the 
children  of  the  forest  against  the  savagery  of  their  hereditary  en- 
emies, who  made  treaties  of  peace  only  to  thereby  gain  better  oppor- 
tunity for  butchery. ' '  —  Eobinson  's  A  History  of  the  Dakota  or 
Sioux  Indians,  p.  154.  This  is  Part  II  of  the  South  Dakota  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  II. 

333  At  the  forks  of  the  Chippewa  Eiver  in  1838,  eleven  Sioux  were 
killed  while  asleep,  by  Chippewas  whom  they  were  entertaining.  The 
mission  at  Lake  Pokegama  was  attacked  in  1840.  In  1842,  a  battle 
was  fought  at  Pine  Coulie  near  the  Indian  village  of  Kaposia.  In 
1850,  on  Apple  Eiver  in  Wisconsin,  fourteen  Chippewas  were  scalped. 
See  the  article  by  Eev.  S.  W.  Pond  on  Indian  Warfare  in  Minnesota 
in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  129-138.  As 
late  as  1854,  D.  B.  Herriman,  the  Cliippewa  agent,  reported  that 
during  the  preceding  year  nearly  one  hundred  Chippewas  had  been 
killed  and  scalped  by  tlie  Sioux.  But  none  of  these  massacres  took 
place  at  the  fort.  —  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  33rd  Congress, 
Vol.  I,  Pt.  1,  Document  No.  1,  p.  260. 

^^^  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  Vol.  VIII, 
Document  No.  51,  p.  31. 

335  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  23,  1831. 

^^'i  Taliaferro's  Diary,  June  4,  1831.  For  other  occasions  during 
the  winter  and  spring  of  1831  when  the  agent  records  the  presence 
of  both  Sioux  and  Chippewas  see  the  diary  under  date  of  January  31, 
March  5,  May  2,  June  15. 

337  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  July  6,  1831.  —  William  Clark  Tapers,  Cor- 
respondence, 1830-1832,  p.  231. 

338  Speech  of  Taliaferro  to  the  Sioux.  —  Taliaferro 's  Diary,  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1831. 

339  Eeport  of  J.  N.  Nicollet  in  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session, 
28th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Document  No.  52,  p.  66. 

5io  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  10,  18,  26,  1831. 

341  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  February  8,  1831.  —  William  Clark  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  p.  121. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  233 

342  The  text  of  the  treaty  is  printed  in  Kappler's  Indum  Affairs, 
LaiLS  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  250-255.  The  treaty  was  signed  on 
August  19,  1825. 

Zi3  Missionary  Herald,  Vol.  XXX,  p.  223,  June,  1834.  Reverend 
W.  T.  Boutwell  aceompanied  Mr.  Schoolcraft  on  this  journey,  and  his 
account  of  it  is  publislied  in  the  religious  paper. 

3*4  Schoolcraft's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  through  th^  Upper 
Mississippi  to  Itasca  LaJ:e,  p.  265. 

345  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  684. 

346  Taliaferro  to  William  Clark,  May  31,  1835.  —  Taliaferro  Let- 
ters, Vol.  Ill,  No.  234. 

347  Taliaferro  to  Herring,  .July  16,  1835.  —  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol. 
Ill,  No.  238. 

348  Taliaferro  to  William  Clark,  September  2,  1835;  Taliaferro  to 
E.  Herring,  September  20,  1835.  —  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  Ill,  Nos. 
251,  252. 

349  Taliaferro  to  William  Clark,  May  26,  1831.  —  William  Clarh 
Papers,  Corresponden<;e,  1830-18S2,  p.  195. 

3^0  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  25,  1831. 

351  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  28th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document 
No.  1,  p.  269. 

^52  Senate  Docwnients,  1st  Session,  29th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  p.  490. 

353  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  January  2,  1851. 

354  Snelling  to  Atkinson,  May  31,  1827.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1827, 
No.  10. 

355  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  May  16,  1850.  Other  occasions  when 
Indians  were  imprisoned  for  similar  causes  are  mentioned  in  The 
Minnesota  Pioneer,  September  23,  1852,  April  20,  1854. 

350  Tlie  Minnesota  Pioneer,  October  14,  1852. 

357  Report  of  Agent  A.  J.  Bruce,  September  1 ,  1846.  —  Executive 
Documents,  2nd  Session,  29th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  4,  p. 
246. 


234  OLD  FORT  SXELLTNG 

358  Beltrami 's  A  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and  America,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
233,  234. 

S59  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  31,  1831;  Taliaferro  to  Captain 
W.  R.  Lovett,  June  30,  1831,  in  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  II,  No.  150. 

360  Pond's  Tico  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalotas,  p.  138. 

361  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  October  4,  1830.  —  William  Clark  Papers, 
Correspondence,  1830-1832,  p.  68. 

362  Taliaferro's  Diary,  June  29,  1834. 

CHAPTEE  IX 

363  For  an  account  of  the  attack  on  the  trading  house  system  see 
Quaife's  Chicago  and  the  Old  Northtcest,  1673-1835,  pp.  301-309; 
also  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  pp.  xiii-xviii. 

364  This  account  of  the  fur  trade  is  based  upon  the  reminiscences 
of  Mr.  H.  H.  Sibley  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill, 
pp.  245-24:7 ;  and  Turner's  Th^  Character  and  Influence  of  the  In- 
dian Trade  in  Wisconsin  in  the  Johns  Hoplins  University  Studies  in 
Historical  and  Political  Science,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  601-607. 

365  If  an  Indian  failed  continually  in  paying  up  his  credits,  the 
trader  would  refuse  him  any  more  goods.  This  would  bring  on  the 
enmity  of  the  hunter  and  his  whole  family.  Such  was  the  case  of 
Joseph  R.  Brown  mentioned  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  247. 

S66  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  II,  pp.  139-146,  Vol.  Ill, 
pp.  332,  333,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  729-735. 

367  A  copy  of  an  American  trading  license  is  published  in  the 
Eeport  from  the  Select  Committee  on  the  Hudson 's  Bay  Company, 
p.  282. 

368  Indian  Office  Files,  1831,  No.  70. 

369  Indian  Office  Files,  1831,  No.  82. 

s'o Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Laicrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  200. 

3T1  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  p.  43 

372  Sibley  to  Featherstonhaugh.  —  Sibley  Papers.  This  letter  is 
printed  in  Holcombe's  Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries,  Vol.  II,  p.  57. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  235 

373  Chittenden's  The  History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade  of  the 
Far  West,  Vol.  I,  p.  323. 

37-i  A  list  of  the  posts  in  the  agency  in  1826  is  given  in  the  Min- 
nesota EiMorieaJ  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  113,  114. 

"The  Secretary  of  War  directs  that  the  traders  in  the  St  Peters 
Agency,  who  have  been  directed  by  you  to  build  their  liouses  in  a 
particular  form,  as  designated  by  you,  be  informed  that  they  are  at 
liberty  to  adapt  the  shape  of  their  building  to  their  own  convenience. 
He  moreover  directs  that  the  term  of  Forts,  by  whicii  they  are  desig- 
nated, be  changed  into  Posts. ' '  —  William  Clark  to  Taliaferro,  March 
26,  1827,  in  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I,  No.  72. 

375  Taliaferro  to  Herring,  September  15,  1834,  in  Indian  Office 
Files,  1834,  No.  210;  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I,  No.  74. 

376  See  Sibley's  story  of  a  tea  ]>arty  given  to  a  numlier  of  traders 
at  Fort  Snelling.  —  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp. 
248,  249. 

377  Coues'a  The  Expeditions  of  Zebulon  M.  PiTce,  Vol.  I,  p.  230. 

378  Taliaferro 's  Diary,  February  22,  1831. 

379  Schoolcraft's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  through  the  Upper 
Mississippi  to  Itasca  Lale,  p.  44. 

380  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  \>\>.  306,  307. 

381  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  564. 

382  Norman  W.  Kittson  to  Sibley,  March  2,  1846.  — Sihlry  Papers, 
1840-1850.  Mr.  Kittson  was  the  manager  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany's business  along  the  international  boundary,  with  his  lieadciuar- 
ters  at  Pembina.  He,  with  the  late  James  J.  Hill,  was  one  of  the 
promoters  of  the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  and  Manitoba  Eailroad  Com- 
pany, 

383  2?eporf  from  the  Select  Commriittec  on  the  Hudson  ^s  Bay  Com- 
pany, p.  370. 

384  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  p.  383. 

^^5  Taliaferro's  Diary,  January  30,  1831. 

380  Kittson  to  Sibley,  August  7,  \R\6.  —  Sihlry  Papers,  1840-1850. 

Mr.  Kittson  was  the  organizer  of  the  picturescjue  caravans  of  Red 

River  carts   (at  one  time  called   "Kittson's   carts")    which   carried 


236  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

on  the  extensive  commerce  between  the  Canadian  and  American  settle- 
ments. At  an  early  date  this  trade  assumed  large  proportions.  * '  The 
van  of  the  Ked  Eiver  train  numbering  from  an  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred carts  made  entirely  of  wood  and  green  hides  and  drawn  by  oxen 
and  ponies  in  harness,  reached  St.  Paul  on  Simday  with  furs,  hides, 
buffalo  robes,  dried  buffalo  tongues,  pemmican,  etc.  They  have  been 
forty  days  on  the  route."  —  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  July  26,  1849. 

387  Missionary  Herald,  Vol.  38,  p.  58,  February,  1842. 

388  Indian  Office  Files,  1839,  No.  62. 

389  Missionary  Herald,  Vol.  40,  p.  281,  August,  1844. 

390  Executive  Docv/ments,  2nd  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  p.  563. 

391  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XX,  p.  383. 

392  Taliaferro's  Diary,  July  23,  1834. 

393  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I,  No.  74. 

394  Marsh  to  Street,  April  28,  1832.  —  Street  Papers,  No.  20. 

395  Indian  Office  Files,  1835,  No.  326. 

396  Bailly  to  Street,  August  3,  1832.  —  Street  Papers,  No.  28. 

397  Street  to  Cass,  October  3,  1832.  —  Street  Papers,  No.  69. 

398  < '  Several  persons  have  been  arrested  near  Crow  Wing  for  sell- 
ing whiskey  to  the  Winnebago  Indians;  and  twelve  or  fifteen  barrels 
of  whiskey  have  been  overtaken  and  knocked  in  the  head,  by  Oapt. 
Monroe's  troops."  —  TJw  Minnesota  Pioneer,  August  9,  1849. 

399  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docimient 
No.  1,  p.  922. 

400  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  August  17,  1830.  —  Indian  Office  Files, 
1830,  No.  143. 

401  Indian  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  140. 

402  Taliaferro  to  Clark,  August  2,  1829.  — Indian  Office  Files, 
1829,  No.  65. 

403  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  1,  p.  444. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  237 

404  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  30th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment Xo.  1,  p.  919. 

405  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  May  12,  1849. 

CHAPTER  X 

40G  Taliaferro  writes:  "It  was  some  length  of  time  before  he 
could  induce  the  Indians  to  respect  the  Sabbath-day  —  all  days  being 
alike  to  them.  It  so  happened  that  hundreds  of  important  peace  con- 
ventions were  made  and  confirmed  by  the  hostile  tribes  on  the  Lord's 
day.  But  time  and  patience  brought  them  to  reason,  and  for  many 
years  they  respected  the  white  man's  great  'medicine  day.'  The  sign 
given  for  the  day  of  rest  was  the  agency  flag  floating  from  the  flag- 
staff, at  the  agency  council  house."  —  Atito-hiography  of  Maj.  Laic- 
rence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota  HiMorical  Collections,  Vol.  VI, 
p.  2.36. 

407  Missionary  Herald,  Vol.  45,  p.  429,  December,  1849. 

ios  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  326.  327;  Talia- 
ferro's Diary,  August  14,  1833. 

400  Street  to  Taliaferro,  August  12,  1829.  —  Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  II,  No.  108. 

i'^o  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  119-121. 

411  Taliaferro  to  Eaton.  —  Indian  Office  Files,  1830,  No.  151. 

412  Taliaferro's  Diary,  April  18,  May  1,  June  8,  1831. 
i"^^  Taliaferro's  Diary,  August  14,  1833. 

414  Taliaferro's  Diary,  April  18,  1831. 

415  Pond 's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  DaJcotas,  p.  iv. 

*^<^  Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  tlie  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  255. 

417  Senate  Documents,  3rd  Session,  25th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document 
No.  1,  p.  523. 

41S  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dakotas,  pp.  12- 
30.  This  volume,  written  by  the  son  of  Samuel  Pond,  tells  of  tlie 
work  of  his  father  and  uncle. 


238  OLD  FORT  SNELLTNG 

419  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalcotas,  p.  30. 
Among  the  Kemper  Fapers  (Vol.  XX,  No.  34)  the  writer  found  the 
following  permit  to  enter  the  Indian  country: 

'  *  The  Eight  Reverend,  Jackson  Kemper,  Missionary  Bishop  of  the 
Prot«stant  Episcopal  Church,  having  signified  to  this  Department,  his 
desire  to  visit  and  remain  sometime  in  the  Indian  country,  and  re- 
quested the  permission  required  by  law  to  enable  him  to  do  so,  such 
permission  is  hereby  granted;  and  he  is  commended  to  the  friendly 
attention  of  civU  and  military  officers  and  agents,  and  of  citizens, 
and  if  at  any  time  it  shall  be  necessary  to  their  protection. 

Given  under  my  hand  and 
the  Seal  of  the  War  Department 
this  1st  day  of  October  1838. 
S.  Cooper. 
Acting  Secretary  of  War. ' ' 

420  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalotas,  pp.  31, 
32 ;  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  324,  325. 

421  Taliaferro 's  Diary,  July  7,  1834. 

422  Pond's    Two    Volunteer  Missionaries   among   the   Dalotas,   pp. 

38-42. 

423  Pond's  Tivo  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalotas,  p.  47. 

424  Featherstonhaugh 's  A  Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor,  Vol. 
II,  p.  11. 

425  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalotas,  p.  43. 

i-''-  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  127-146. 

427  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dal'otas,  pp. 
127,  133. 

42S  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  A^ol.  Ill,  Ft. 
II,  Document  No.  5,  pp.  1054,  1055. 

42!)  Eiggs's  Mary  and  I,  Forty  Years  with  the  Sioux,  pp.  41,  42. 

430  Pond's  Two  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dalotas,  pp. 
49-59. 

431  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  29th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Docu- 
ment No.  4,  p.  315. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  239 

432  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  32n(l  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Pt. 
Ill,  p.  439. 

iAS  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VT,  p.  343. 

434  Pond 's  Tuo  Volunteer  Missionaries  among  the  Dakotas,  pp.  63, 

64. 

43^  Missionary  Herald,  Vol.  41,  p.  2S1,  August,  1845;  Vol.  32,  pp. 
188,  189,  May,  1836. 

*3G  The  Spirit  of  Missions,  Vol.  IV,  p.  61,  February,  1839;  Tan- 
ner's History  of  the  Diocese  of  Minnesota,  p.  24;  Post  Eeturns,  April, 
1839,  in  the  archives  of  the  War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

437  Gear  to  Kemper,  Nov.  29,  1841.  —  Kemper  Letters,  Vol.  25,  No. 
103.     See  also   The  Spirit  of  Missions,  Vol.  5,  p.   68,  March,   1840. 

438  JcM  et  Dicta,  Vol.  I,  No.  1,  July,  1907,  pp.  14-21;  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  222-230. 

CHAPTER  XI 

439Catlin'a  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Con- 
dition of  the  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  p.  592. 

440  Merrick's  Old  Times  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  p.  187.  The 
following  description  was  given  by  Philander  Prescott,  a  fur  tradiM': 

"The  Indians  say  they  had  dreamed  of  seeing  some  monster  of 
the  deep  the  night  before,  which  frightened  them  very  much.  It 
appears  they  did  not  discover  the  boat  until  it  had  got  into  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Peter's,  below  Mr.  Sibley's.  They  stood  and  gazed  with 
astonishment  at  what  they  saw  approaching,  taking  the  boat  to  be 
some  angry  god  of  the  water,  coughing  and  spouting  water  upwards, 
sideways  and  forward.  They  had  not  courage  enough  to  stand  until 
the  boat  came  near  them.  The  women  and  children  took  to  the  woods, 
with  their  hair  floating  behind  them  in  the  breeze,  from  the  speed 
they  were  going,  in  running  from  supposed  danger.  Some  of  the  men 
had  a  little  more  courage,  and  ojdy  moved  ofP  to  a  short  distance  from 
the  shore,  and  the  boat  passed  along  and  landed.  Everything  l)eing 
quiet  for  a  moment,  the  Indians  came  up  to  the  boat  again,  and  stood 
looking  at  tlie  monster  of  the  deej).  All  at  once  the  boat  l)egaii  to 
blow  off  steam,  and  the  bravest  warriors  could  not  stand  this  awful 
roaring,  but  took  to  the  woods,  men,  women  and  childrcu,  with  their 


240  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

blankets  flying  in  the  wind ;  some  tumbling  in  the  brush  which  en- 
tangled their  feet  as  they  ran  away  —  some  hallooing,  some  crying, 
to  the  great  amusement  of  the  people  on  board  the  steamboat. ' '  — 
Quoted  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  104, 
note  1. 

441  Beltrajiii 's  A  Pilgrvniage  in  Europe  and  America,  Vol.  II,  p. 
199. 

4i2  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  191-193. 

443  Beltrami  published  an  account  of  his  travels  in  French  in  New 
Orleans  in  1824.  The  English  version  is  entitled  A  Pilgrimage  in 
Europe  and  America,  leading  to  the  Discovery  of  the  Sources  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Bloody  Biver,  and  was  published  in  London  in  two 
volumes  in  1828.  It  is  composed  of  twenty-two  letters  addressed  to 
"My  Dear  Countess"  and  dedicated  "to  the  Fair  Sex". 

m  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  101. 

445  The  story  of  this  exploration  was  published  under  the  title  of 
Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St.  Peter's  Biver,  Lake 
WinnepeeJc,  Lake  of  the  Woods,  Etc.  performed  in  the  year  1823,  by 
order  of  the  Hon.  J.  C.  Calhoun,  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Stephen  H.  Long,  U.  S.  T.  E.  It  was  written  by  Professor 
Keating  from  the  notes  of  the  party.  An  English  edition  appeared 
in  London  in  1825.     The  references  given  are  to  this  publication. 

.    446  J.   C.   Calhoun   to   Major   Long.  —  Taliaferro   Letters,   Vol.    I, 
No.  41. 

447  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  Biver,  Vol.  I,  p.  324,  Vol.  II,  p.  112. 

448  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  Biver,  Vol.  I,  pp.  306-310. 

449  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  Biver,  Vol.  I,  p.  356. 

i^'O  Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  241. 

451  Beltrami's  A  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and  A7nerica,  Vol.  II,  p. 
414. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  241 

452'<My  head  was  covered  with  the  bark  of  a  tree,  formed  into 
the  shape  of  a  hat  and  sewed  with  threads  of  bark;  and  shoes,  a  coat, 
and  pantaloons,  such  as  are  used  by  Canadians  in  the  Indian  terri- 
tories, and  formed  of  original  skins  sewed  together  by  thread  made  of 
the  muscles  of  that  animal,  completed  the  grotesque  appearance  of 
my  person."  —  Beltrami's  A  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and  America, 
Vol.  II,  p.  481.  For  a  short  summary  of  Beltrami 's  work  see  the 
Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  183-196. 

453  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  River,  Vol.  II,  p.  200. 

454Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  pp.  599-602. 

455Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  pp.  602-607.  This 
quotation  is  from  page  607. 

456  Senate  Documents,  1st  Session,  24th  Congress,  Vol.  IV,  Docu- 
ment No.  333. 

457  Featherstonhaugh 's  A  Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor, 
Vol.  I,  p.  262. 

458  Auto-hiography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  tlie  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  246. 

459  Featherstonhaugh 's  A  Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  261,  266,  288. 

460  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  pp.  187,  188. 

4C1  Executive  Documents,  2nd  Session,  28th  Congress,  Vol.  II,  Doc- 
ument No.  52,  p.  53. 

462Brower'3  The  Mississippi  Itivcr  and  its  Source  which  comprises 
Vol.  VII  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collections.     See  p.  162. 

463  Auto-hiography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  i)p.  242-245;  Minnesota  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  I,  j).  189. 

404  In  his  reminiscences  Jolm  C.  Fremont  has  left  a  very  interest- 
ing account  of  these  two  expeditions.  —  Fremont's  Memoirs  of  My 
Life,  Vol.  I,  i,]^  30-54. 

io^  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  T,  p.  183. 

460  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  129,  133,  134. 


242  OLD  FORT  SXELLING 

467Neiirs  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  pp.  914, 
915. 

4G8  North  Western  Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser,  June  26,  1840. 

469  North  Western  Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser,  June  5,   1840. 

■i70  i.ouisville  Journal  quoted  in  the  North-  Western  Gazette  and 
Galena  Advertiser,  June  14,  1838. 

471  Jackson  Kemper  was  appointed  missionary  bishop  of  the  North- 
west in  1835  and  held  the  position  until  1859  when  he  accepted  the 
bishopric  of  Wisconsin.  His  papers  and  diaries  are  in  the  archives 
of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society.  For  an  account  of  his  work  see 
Tiffany's  A  History  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  i7i  the 
United  States,  pp.  448,  493. 

472  Ketnper  Papers,  Vol.  XXVII,  No.  113. 

473  Kemper  Papers,  Vol.  XXVII,  No.  116. 

CHAPTER  XII 

474  Journals  of  Congress,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  589. 

475  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  I,  p.  138. 

476  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  XVI,  p.  566. 

477  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  1890,  p.  xxix. 

478  These  figures  are  taken  from  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  council  published  in  Niles'  Register,  Vol.  XXIX,  pp.  187-192. 
Taliaferro  gives  the  number  of  his  party  as  being  385  * '  Sioux  and 
Chippewas,  including  the  interpreters  and  attendants."  —  Auto-biog- 
raphy of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Minnesota  Historical  Col- 
lections, Vol.  VI,  p.  206. 

479  The  text  of  the  treaty  is  printed  in  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs, 
Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  250-255. 

480  These  are  the  reasons  given  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs  in  his  report  on  December  1,  1837.  —  Senate  Documents,  2nd 
Session,  25th  Congress,  Vol.  I,  Document  No.  1,  pp.  526,  527. 

481  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  129. 

482  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  131 ;  Vol.  VI,  p.  214. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  243 

483  For  an  account  of  the  life  of  Flat  Mouth  see  Coues  's  The  Ex- 
peditions of  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  Vol.  I,  p.  169,  note  10. 

■iS4  Sketches  of  the  life  of  Hole-in-thc-Dav  are  given  in  Th-e  Spirit 
of  Mi^sio7is,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  461,  December,  1843;  North  Western 
Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser,  August  3,  1839;  Prairie  du  Chien 
Patriot,  June  8,  1847. 

485  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  V,  p.  S53. 

4S6  The  names  of  the  witnesses  of  the  treaty  are  given  in  Kappler  's 
Indian  Affairs,  Laics  and  Treaties,  A'ol.  II,  p.  493. 

487  A  contemporary  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  councU  pub- 
lished in  the  loiva  Netcs  (Dubuque),  Vol.  I,  Nos.  11  and  14,  is  re- 
printed in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  pp. 
408-433. 

488  The  loiva  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  p.  420. 

489  Dodge  to  Harris,  July  30,  1837.  — Indian  Office  Files,  1837, 
No.  226. 

*^o  Executive  Documents,  1st  Session,  31st  Congi-ess,  Vol.  Ill,  Pt. 
2,  Document  No.  5,  p.  985.  The  Indians  desired  whiskey  at  the  coun- 
cils. In  order  to  prove  that  it  was  not  refused  because  of  stinginess, 
two  barrels  were  opened  at  Prairie  du  Cliien  and  the  whiskey  allowed 
to  run  on  the  ground.  The  old  Indian  Wakh-pa-koo-tay  mourned  the 
loss:  ' '  It  was  a  great  pity,  there  was  enough  wasted  to  have  kept  me 
drunk  all  the  days  of  my  life. ' '  —  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  V,  p.  124. 

491  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  ]>]).  409, 
410. 

'^^^The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  424- 
426. 

493  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  i))*.  416, 
417. 

Taliaferro  was  violently  opposed  to  granting  any  fnnds  to  the 
traders.  —  Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Laivrcnce  Taliaferro  in  tlie  Min- 
nesota Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  215,  216. 

494  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  4;il, 
432. 


244  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

•i95  The  text  of  the  treaty  is  to  be  found  in  Kappler  's  Indian 
Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  491-493. 

496  Niles'  Eegister,  Vol.  LIII,  pp.  81,  82;  Kappler 's  Indian  Affairs, 
Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol.  II,  pp.  493,  494. 

497  See  an  account  of  the  payment  in  1849  at  Fort  Snelling  in  The 
Minnesota  Pioneer,  September  27,  1849. 

498  Post  Betur7is,  November,  1852,  October,  1853,  October,  1854,  in 
the  archives  of  the  War  Department,  Washington,  I).  C. 

CHAPTEE  XIII 

199  Turner's  The  Significance  of  the  Frontier  in  American  History 
in  the  Annual  Beport  of  the  American  Historical  Association,  1893, 
p.  211. 

500  Beltrami's^  Pi?(7rma^e  in  Europe  and  America,  Vol.  II,  p.  202. 

501  Neill's  The  History  of  Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  p.  453; 
Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I,  p.  468. 

502  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  319. 

503  Keating 's  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Source  of  St. 
Peter's  Biver,  Vol.  II,  p.  60. 

504  Much  has  been  written  on  the  founding  of  this  colony  and  the 
romantic  events  connected  with  the  struggle  between  the  Hudson 's 
Bay  Company  and  the  North  West  Company,  in  which  many  of  the 
colonists  were  the  innocent  victims.  Interesting  accounts  are  given 
in  Kingsford's  The  History  of  Canada,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  108-150;  Bryce's 
The  Bemarlcahle  History  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  pp.  202- 
257;  Bryce's  Lord  Selkirk  in  The  Makers  of  Canada,  Vol.  Y,  pp.  115- 
206;  Laut's  The  Conquest  of  the  Great  Nortlnvest,  pp.  113-202;  Min- 
nesota Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  75-89. 

505  There  is  a  summary  of  the  early  trading  relations  of  the  Eed 
Elver  Colony  with  the  American  settlements  in  the  Collections  of  the 
State  Historical  Society  of  North  Dakota,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  251,  252. 
The  arrival  of  these  people  at  Fort  Snelling  is  noted  in  the  Minne- 
sota Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  124,  127 ;  VI,  p.  350. 

506  ' '  Two  families  of  Swiss  emigrants  who  arrived  here  yesterday 
were    robl>ed    of    almost   everything    they   possessed ' '.  —  Snelling   to 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  245 


Talicoferro,  October  19,  1824,  in  Taliaferro  Letters,  Vol.  I,  Xo.  50. 
See  also  tlie  story  of  the  Tully  children  in  Van  Cleve's  "Three  Score 
Years  and  Ten,"  Life-Long  Memories  of  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota, 
pp.  49-61. 

5or  The  facts  concerning  the  migrations  of  these  Bed  Eiver  ref- 
ugees are  taken  from  the  reminiscences  of  Mrs.  Ann  Adams  who  was 
herself  one  of  the  travellers.  —  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol. 
VI,  pp.  75-95.  See  also  Chetlain  's  The  Sed  Eiver  Colony.  This  is  a 
small  pamphlet  written  by  the  son  of  one  of  the  refugees. 

508  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XIV,  p.  84. 

509  Williams's  A  History  of  the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  pp.  70,  71. 

510  Executive  Documents,  ord  Session,  40th  Congress.  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  p.  16. 

511  Renville  to  Sibley,  February  22,  1S?,5.  —  Sibley  Papers,  1830- 
1840.  A  story  is  told  of  a  certain  "Simple-hearted,  honest  fellow" 
named  Sinclair.  "One  time  he  was  sick,  at  Mendota,  and  Surgeon 
Emerson,  at  the  fort,  sent  by  some  one,  a  box  of  pills,  for  him  to 
take  a  dose  from.  N.  W.  Kittson  called  on  him  a  little  while  after 
this,  and  found  that  Sinclair  had  not  only  swallowed  all  the  pills,  but 
was  then  chewing  up  the  box!  "  —  Williams's  A  History  of  the  City 
of  Saint  Paul,  p.  123. 

512  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  127,  129. 

513  Snelling  to  Taliaferro,  October  19,  1824.  —  Taliaferro  Letters, 
Vol.  I,  No.  50. 

^^■i  Taliaferro's  Diary,  July  13,  14,  1834;  Indian  Office  Files,  1834, 
No.  239. 

515  Taliaferro's  Diary,  July  21,  1834. 

516  Indian  Office  Files,  1837,  Nos.  448,  447,  445. 

517  The  Auto-biography  of  Maj.  Lawrence  Taliaferro  in  the  Min- 
nesota Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  231. 

518  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  pp.  14,  15. 

^^0  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  \11, 
Document  No.  9,  jjp.  16,  17. 


246  OLD  FORT  SNELLING 

520  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  pp.  18,  23. 

521  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  p.  136;  "Williams's 
A  History  of  the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  pp.  66,  67. 

522  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  pp.  23,  24. 

523  Executive  Documents,  3rd  Session,  40th  Congress,  Vol.  VII, 
Document  No.  9,  pp.  26,  27. 

524  Tlie  Spirit  of  Missions,  Vol.  V,  p.  335,  November,  1840.  A 
recent  sketch  of  Fort  Snelling  states  that  there  were  ' '  no  wliite 
neighbors  except  traders,  agents  of  fur  companies,  refugees  from  civ- 
ilization and  disreputable  hangers-on. ' '  —  Hammond 's  Quaint  and 
Historic  Forts  of  North  America,  p.  272.  Many  of  tlie  evicted  set- 
tlers can  not  be  classed  among  these. 

525  This  order  is  published  in  Williams 's  A  History  of  the  City  of 
Saint  Paul,  p.  94. 

526  For  the  expulsion  of  the  settlers  see  Williams's  A  History  of 
the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  pp.  99,  100;  also,  Neill's  The  History  of 
Minnesota  (Fourth  Edition),  p.  459.  Williams  (p.  100)  says  that  in 
1849  and  1852  memorials  were  presented  to  Congi-ess  by  those  who 
had  been  expelled,  in  which  they  stated  that  ' '  the  soldiery  fell  upon 
them  without  warning,  treated  them  with  unjustifiable  rudeness, 
broke  and  destroyed  furniture  wantonly,  insulted  the  women,  and,  in 
one  or  two  instances,  fired  at  and  killed  cattle. ' ' 

Father  Galtier,  who  was  there  at  the  time,  wrote :  ' '  Consequently 
a  deputy  marshall  from  Prairie  du  Cliien  was  ordered  to  remove  the 
houses.  He  went  t«  work,  assisted  by  some  soldiers,  and,  one  after 
another,  unroofed  the  cottages,  extending  about  five  miles  along  the 
river.  The  settlers  were  forced  te  seek  new  homes. ' '  He  makes  no 
mention  of  personal  violence.  —  Acta  et  Dicta,  Vol.  I,  No.  1,  p.  64. 

527  Williams's  A  History  of  the  City  of  Saint  Paul,  p.  111. 

528  See  the  description  of  St.  Paul  in  1849  in  Seymour's  Sketches 
of  Minnesota,  the  New  England  of  the  West,  pp.  94-100. 

529  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  January  30,  1850. 

530  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  January  23,  February  27,  Jime  27, 
1850. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  247 

531  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  November  27,  1851. 

532  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  April  17,  1851. 

533  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XV,  p.  534 ;  Post  Re- 
turns, July,  1855,  ill  the  archives  of  the  War  Department,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

534  Tin;  Minnesota  Pioneer,  February  20,  27,  1850. 

535  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  February  6,  13,  1850;  Minnesota  Chron- 
icle and  Register,  February  10,  1851. 

536  The  Minnesota  Pioneer,  February  13,  1850. 

537  Bishop's  Floral  Home;  or.  First  Years  of  Minnesota,  pp.  152- 
163. 

538  TJie  Minnesota  Pioneer,  August  23,  1849. 

539  These  two  treaties  were  the  treaty  with  the  Sissetoii  and  Wah- 
peton  bands  of  Sioux  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  July  23,  1851 ;  and  with 
the  Mdewakanton  and  Wahpakoota  bands  of  Sioux  at  Mendota  on 
August  5,  1851.  —  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laics  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  588-593. 


INDEX 


m  I 


i 


INDEX 


Abercronibie,  John  J.,  fort  built  by,  50 

Adams,   Mrs.   Ann,    245 

Agency  house,  fire  in,   101 

Agriculture    (see  Farming) 

Aitkin,    Mr.,    144 

Akin,  Mr.,  information  furnished  by, 
172 

Alcohol,   purchase  of,   88 

American  Fur  Company,  fort  pur- 
chased from,  21;  warehouse  and 
store  of,  81;  monopoly  of,  135; 
reference  to,   138,   142,   188,  209 

Americans,  hostility  of  Indians  to, 
during  War  of  1812,  8-12;  In- 
dians impressed  by  supremacy  of, 
112-118;  protection  promised  by, 
122 

Ammunition,  giving  of,  to  Indians, 
110 

Andrews,   Joseph   F.,   230 

Annuities,  42,  43,  111,  126;  pay- 
ment  of,   to   Indians,    184,    185 

Apple   River,   massacre   on,    132,   232 

Apples,  purchase  of,  88 

Ardourly,    Jack,    100 

Armorer's    shop,    77,    78,    79 

Articles  of  Confederation,   176 

Assiniboine  River,   5 

Astor,  John  Jacob,   135,   209 

Atkinson,  Henry,  fort  named  in  hon- 
or of,    30;    reference  to,   34 

Aunt  Phyllis's  Cabin,   62 

Badger,  The,  murder  of,  127 

Bailly,  Alexis,   99,   188;    disagreement 

between    Taliaferro   and,    138,    139; 

wliiskey  in  store  of,   142,   143 
Baker,    Benjamin,    trading    house    of, 

78,    79,    125,    192 
Ball-plays,    101;    holding   of,    for   Cut- 

lin,    164 
Balls,  music  for,  197 


Band,  fund  for  maintenance  of,  87; 
music  by,   197 

Barracks,  building  of,  25 ;  reference 
to,  73;  description  of,  74,  75;  tak- 
ing of  sick  soldiers   from,    85 

Bean,  J.  L.,  boundary-  line  sur\eyed 
by,  130,  131 

Bear,   hunting  of,    105 

Bear  dance,    164 

Bedford    (Pennsylvania),    71 

Beef,    85;   ration   of,    109 

Beggars'   dance,    164 

Belen   Gate   of   City  of   Mexico,    64 

Beltrami,  J.  C,  description  of  coun- 
cil by,  106,  107;  reference  to,  133, 
187;  visit  of,  to  Fort  Snelling,  160- 
163 

Bennington    (Vermont),   61 

Benton,   Thomas  H.,    107 

Berries,    gathering   of,    105 

Big  Eagle,   83 

Big  Stone  Lake,  103 

Big  Thunder,  83 ;  desire  of,  to  raise 
corn,    152 

Birthplace  of  soldiers,  92 

Black  Dog,  village  of,  83 

Black  Hawk  War,  position  of  Fort 
Snelling  during,  35 

Black  Hole,  confinement  of  offenders 
in,   91,   132 

Black  River,    36,    184 

Bhuksmith   shop,    118 

Blacksmiths,   work  of,    78.    155 

Blankets,  giving  of,  to  Indians,  110; 
reference  to,   136 

Bliss,  John  H.,  68,  114,  151,  153; 
punishment  inflicted  by,  90,  91; 
statement  by,    99,    100 

Bliss,  Mrs.  John   H.,   153 

Blockhouses,    74 

Blue  Earth  River,  Winnebago  reser- 
vation on,  37;   reference  to,    162 

2rji 


252 


INDEX 


Boarding-school,     success     of,     among 
Indians,    156 

Boatmen,    foreigners    as,    138 

Bois    hrules,    difficulties    with,    37-40; 
location   of,   around   fort,    188,    189 

Books,  fund  for  purchase  of,   87 

Boonesborough    (Kentucky),   201 

Boston,    56,    145 

Bougainville,     Louis    Antoine,     report 
of,    205 

Boundary    line     of     1825,     130,     131, 
178,    184 

Brandy,  86 

Braves,    desire    of,    to    take    part    in 
council,   181 

"Brazil"   (steamboat),  168,  169 

Bread,  character  of,  86 

Bread  tickets,   88 

Breakfast,    85 

Brewers,    92 

Briggs,   Ansel,    41 

Brock,   General,    8 

Brooke,  George  M.,  site  for  fort  chos- 
en  by,   48 

Broom,    purchase    of,    88 

Brown,   Joseph   R.,    190,    191 

Brown,  Private,  purchases  by,  88 

Brown's   Falls,    81 

Bruce,  Amos  J.,  71 

Bnmson,   Alfred,   work   of,   among  In- 
dians,   154 

Brunson,  Ira  B.,   195 

Buchanan  County   (Iowa),  41 

Buck,    Solon    J.,    acknowledgments    to, 
ix 

Buffalo,    lainting    of,    by    half-breeds, 
37,    38,   40 

Buffalo   dance,    164 

"Burlington"    (steamboat),   168 

Butter,  purchase  of,  88 

Calhoun,   John    C,    19,   224 

California,   emigration  to,  43 

Camp    Cold    Water,    establishment    of, 

27;  reference  to,  58,  110,  189,  190, 

212 
Camp  Misso\iri,  sickness  at,  213 
Camp  Pierce,  46 
Campbell,    Duncan,    131 


Campbell,  Scott,  service  of,  as  inter- 
preter,  71,   72 

Canada,  3,  8,  57,  92,  158;  taking  of 
furs  to,  6 ;  importance  of  hir  trade 
to,  9;  visits  of  Indians  to,  37,  106; 
difficulties  with  half-breeds  from, 
37-40;    export  of   furs   from,    207 

Canal,    20 

Canby,  Edward  R.  S.,  sketch  of  life 
of,    63-65 

Candles,    86 

Candy,  purchase  of,  88 

Canister  shot,   77 

Cannon,   description    of,    77 

Cannon   River,   137 

Canoes,   199 

Cantonment  Leavenworth,  establish- 
ment of,   56 

Cantonment  New  Hope,  establishment 
of,  25;  removal  of  troops  from,  27; 
reference  to,  55 

Cards,   playing  of,    99 

Carpenters,  employment  of  soldiers 
as,   96 

Cartridges,   stock  of,    77 

Carver,  Jonathan,  exploration  by,  1 ; 
statement  by,  1,  2;  reference  to, 
198 

Cass,  Lewis,  visit  of,  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing,  28;  reference  to,  137,  140, 
17S;    expedition    of,    212 

Cat'o'nine  tails,   90 

Catholic  chaiiel.   81 

Catholics,    religioxis   work    among,    158 

Catlin,  George,  visit  of,  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing,   163,   164 

Catlin,  Mrs.  George,  visit  of,  to  Fort 
Snelling,    163,    164 

Cattle,   feeding  of,   82,   96 

Cellars,    75 

Cemetery,    81,    89,    93 

Certificates,  giving  of,  to  Indians, 
113,   114 

Chambers,  John,   182 

Chapel,    81,    195 

Chaplain,  88,  101,  194,  195;  service 
of  Gear  as,    157 

Chatel,  Mr.,  work  of,   155,   156 

Checkers,   playing  of,   99 


INDEX 


253 


Cheese,  purchase  of,  8S 

Cherokee  Indians,  removal  of,   63,   64 

Cherubusco,  Battle  of,   64 

Chess,    playing   of,   99 

Chicago,   161 

Chiefs,  giving  of  certificates  to,  113, 
114;  visit  of,  to  Washington,  115, 
116;    council  with,    181 

Children,  education  of,  at  fort,  100, 
101 

Chippewa,    Battle   of,    55 

Chippewa  Indians,  early  traders 
among,  3 ;  reference  to,  7,  48,  104, 
108,  139,  142,  144,  163,  177,  178, 
228,  231,  242;  unwillingness  of, 
to  make  treaty,  13 ;  treaty  between 
Sioux  and,  28 ;  treaty  with,  45, 
176-186;  land  ceded  by,  47,  48; 
home  of,  103 ;  war  parties  against, 
106;  hostility  of,  114;  feuds  be- 
tween Sioux  and,  119-134;  killing 
of,  by  Sioux,  121,  125;  murderers 
killed  by,  122-124;  murder  of 
Sioux  warrior  by,  127;  battle  be- 
tween Sioux  and,  127,  128,  232; 
boundary  line  between  Sioux  and, 
130,  131,  178;  trustworthiness  of, 
134;  language  of,  172,  173,  174; 
summoning   of,    to    council,    179 

Chippewa  River,  131,  172;  murder 
of   Sioux   on,   232 

Choctaw   Indians,  removal  of,   63,   64 

Chouteau,  Auguste,  activities  of,  as 
commissioner,    12,   13 

Christianity,  influence  of,  146;  meth- 
od of  preaching,   150,   151 

Church,  organization  of,  at  Fort 
Snelling,  157;  attendance  at,  194, 
195 

Churns,    76 

Civil  War,  use  of  Fort  Snelling  dur- 
ing, 52;  service  of  Eastman  in,  62; 
reference  to,  63,  201  ;  service  of 
Canby   in,    64 

Clark,    Charlotte   Ouisconsin,    23,    212 

Clark,  Dan  E.,  acknowledgments  to,  x 

Clark,   Nathan,   21 

Clark,    Mrs.   Nathan,    23 

Clark,    William,    exixfdition    under,    4, 


5 ;  Fort  Shelby  established  by,  1 1 ; 
activities  of,  as  commissioner,  12, 
13;  reference  to,  69,  70,  114,  178, 
221,    228 

Clarke,  Colonel,  44 

Clerks,    136 

Cloud  Man,  resolution  of,  to  become 
farmer,   148 ;   reference  to,   153 

Cloves,  purchase  of,   88 

Coe,  Alvan,  coming  of,  to  Fort  Snell- 
ing, 149 

Coffee,    86 

Colhoun,   James   E.,    161,    162 

Colors,   guarding  of,    85 

Columbia,    Department   of,    65 

Columbia  Fur  Company,   138 

Columbia  River,   5 

Commanders  of  Fort  Snelling,  influ- 
ence of,  54 ;  sketches  of  lives  of, 
54-65 

Commanding    officer,    quarters    of,    75 

Commerce,    extent    of,    205 

Commissary,    office    of,    75 

Commissary  department,  storehouse 
of,   75 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  re- 
port of,  37;   reference  to,   67,    177 

Confederation,  forming  of,  among  In- 
dians,   13 

Congress,  right  of,  to  regulate  Indian 
affairs,    176;    memorials   to,    246 

Connecticut,    1 

Contreras,   Battle   of,   64 

Coon,  story  about  Scott  and,   60,   61 

Cooper,    S.,    238 

Cooperation   in   fur  trade,    135 

Copper,  mining  of,   25;   block  of,   175 

Corn,  feeding  of,  to  cattle,  82;  rais- 
ing of,  by  Indians,  105;  giving  of, 
to   Indians,    110 

Council,  holding  of,  with  Indians,  35, 
36,  43,   106-109,    129,    179-183 

Council  Bluff  (Nc-braska),  fort  at, 
20;  route  of  road  to  Fort  Snelling 
from,  28,  29;  naming  of  fort  at, 
30;  reference  to,  160;  sickness  at, 
213 

Council  Hall,  description  of,  106,   107 

Council    House,    erection    of,    28;    do- 


254 


INDEX 


sci'iption  of,  77;  burning  of,  77, 
78;    rebuilding   of,    78 

Coureurs  des  hois,   activities  of,   3 

Court-martial,    102 

Crane,    The,    129,    228 

Crawford,    Captain,    159 

Crawford  County  (Wisconsin)  volun- 
teers from,   35 

Credit,  fur  trade  carried  on  by  means 
of,   136 

Creek  Indians,  removal  of,   63,  64 

Croghan,  George,  visit  of,  to  Fort 
Snelling,    100 

Cross  Timbers   (Indian  Territory),  56 

Crow    Wing,    236 

Crow  Wing  River,   47 

Currants,  purchase  of,  88 

Dahcotali :  or,  Life  and  Legends  of 
the  Sioux  around  Fort  Snelling,  62 

Dana,    Captain,    49 

Dance  of  the  braves,   164 

Dances,   holding   of,   by   Indians,    164 

Dakota,    Department   of,    52 

Dakota   Indians    (see    Sioux   Indians) 

Dearborn,   Major,    110 

Deaths,  number  of,  at  Fort  Snelling, 
93 

Debts,  payment  of,  to  traders,  183, 
184 

De   Courcy,    Adolphine,    100 

Deer,   hunting  of,   105 

Delaware  County   (New  York),  55 

Delhi   (New  York),  56 

Democrats,  charges  of  graft  against, 
51 

Denny,   St.   Clair,    161 

Des   Moines   River,    18,    44 

Deserters,  dangers  faced  by,   92 

Desertions,  causes  of,  91 ;  prevalence 
of,    91,    92 

Details,    duties    of,    85 

Detroit,  11,  19;  departure  of  troops 
from,   21 ;   surrender  of,    57 

Devil's   Lake,   40 

Dickson,  Robert,  activities  of,  in  be- 
half of  English,  11;  reference  to, 
13,   16,   134;   instructions  to,   208 

Diet,   description    of,    85 


Dinner,   85 

Dixon,   Private,  desertion  of,  92 

Dodge,  Henry,  visit  of,  to  Fort  Snell- 
ing, 168;  council  of,  with  Indians, 
180-183 

Dog   dance,    164 

Dominoes,    playing   of,    99 

Doty,  James  D.,  212 

Douglas,  Thomas,  settlement  of,  188, 
189 

Draft  riots,   64 

Dragoons,  exx>edition  of,  38,  39,  45, 
216;  activities  of,  in  Iowa,  44,  45; 
service  of,  on  survey,  46,  47;  ref- 
erence to,  48,  56,  63,  186,  217; 
frontier  service  of,  49;  arrival  of, 
215 

Dress    parade,    85 

Drummond  Island,  visits  of  Indians 
to,    13,    14 

Drunkenness,  prevalence  of,  in  gar- 
rison, 89,  90,  194;  punishment  for, 
90 

Dubuque,    43,    158,    216 

Dubuque,   Diocese  of,   158 

Ducks,    96,    97 

Dueling,    102 

Duluth,   Daniel  Greyloson,   3 

Dunning,    William  A.,    215 

Eagle  dance,  164 

Eastman,    Mary    Henderson,    writings 

of,   62 
Eastman,    Seth,    35,    99,    145;    sketch 

of   life   of,    62 
Eastman,    Mrs.    Seth,    description    by, 

94 
Eaton,   John   H.,    149 
Eatonville      (Minnesota),     colony     at, 

118,     149;     success    of    colony    at, 

150;    Pond    brothers    in    charge    of, 

152 
Education,    work    of,    among    Indians, 

156 
"Education    Families",    103 
Education   of    children,    100,    101 
Edwards,     Ninian,     activities     of,     as 

commissioner,    12,    13 
Eighth   United   States   Infantry,    18 


INDEX 


255 


Elk,  hunting  of,   105 

Emerson,  John,  sketch  of  life  of,  65, 
66;   reference   to,    194,    245 

Emerson,   Mrs.   John,    66 

Emigration,    14,   15 

Enjrland,    70 

English,  rule  of,  in  West,  2,  3 :  ac- 
tivities of,  in  fur  trade,  3,  4,  140; 
power  of,  over  Indians,  5-17;  sup- 
port of,  by  Indians  in  War  of 
1812,  8-12:  medals  given  by,  112; 
persistence  of  influence  of.  114, 
115;    use   of  Indians   by,   208 

English  River,   42 

English  trading  companies,    2 

Episcopal   Church,    169 

Evans.    William,    190 

Exploring   expeditions,    109 

Factors,  136;  relations  of,  with  of- 
ficers of  fort,   138,   139 

Factory    System,    107 

Fall,  activities  of  Indians  during, 
105,   106 

Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  7,  24,  29,  30, 
86,  96,  149,  153,  198,  207;  jour- 
ney of  Long  to,  19;  plan  to  es- 
tablish fort  near,  20;  saw  mill  at, 
27,  28;  fort  named  for,  29;  road 
to,  81;  description  of,  81,  173, 
174;  legend  concerning,  81,  82; 
visits  of  travelers  to,  159-175;  at- 
tempt to  cross,    161,    162 

Falstrom,    Jacob,    19] 

Faribault,  Jean  Baptiste,  house  of, 
80;  reference  to,  137,  141,  222; 
trading  post  of,   187,   188 

Faribault,    Pelagi,     187 

Farmers,  92 ;  employment  of  soldiers 
as,  95;  work  of,  among  Indians, 
155,    156 

Farming,  efforts  to  introduce,  among 
Indians,  148-150;  work  of  Indians 
at,  150;  assistance  to  Indians  in, 
152,  153;  instruction  of  Indians 
in,    155 

"Fashionable   Tour",    159-175 

Fat  Duty  Win    (Indian),   156 

"Fayette"    (steamboat),   169 


Fayette    County    (Iowa),    41 

Featherstonhaugh,  George  William, 
visit  of,  to  Fort  Snelling,  153,  165, 
166 

Ferries,  14 

Ferry  house,  81 

Ferryman,  81 

Fifth  United  States  Infantry,  disem- 
barkment  of,  2;  orders  to,  19,  20; 
location  of  parts  of,  21;  joxirney 
of,  to  mouth  of  Minnesota  River, 
21-24;  companies  of,  taken  to  Fort 
Crawford,  32;  reference  to,  55,  58, 
59,   62,    187 

Finley,   ^Ir.,    home   of,    81 

Fireplaces,  heating  by  means  of,  99 

Fires,    epidemic   of,    101 

First  United  States  Infantry,  58,  59, 
62 

Fishing  tackle,    purchase   of,    88 

Flag  staff,  75 

Flags,  giving  up  of,  by  Indians,  6; 
reference  to.  112;  slur  against,  145 

Flat    IMouth,    120;    career  of,    179 

Flatboats,   14,   86,   199 

Flogging,    90 

Florida  War,  service  of  Eastman  in, 
62;   service  of  Canby   in,   63 

Flour,    86 

Food,  character  of,  26,  85-87 

Folles-Avoine  Indians,  205 

Fond    du    Lac,    Department    of,    6 

Foraging,   85,   96 

Foreigners,  permission  to,  to  engage 
in  fur  trade,  138 

Forests,    178 

Forsyth,  Thomas,  joiiriicy  of,  up  INIis- 
sissippi,  22;  presents  distributed 
by,  23;  arrival  of,  at  mouth  of  Min- 
nesota River,  24;  return  triji  of, 
24;   reference   to,   211,   228 

Fort  Abercrombie,  facts  concerning 
early   history   of,   49,    50 

Fort  Armstrong,  construction  of,  18; 
reference  to,  20;  garrison  for,  22; 
journey  of  Webb  to,   117 

Fort  Atkinson  (Iowa),  dragoons  from, 
35;  expedition  from,  38;  Major 
Woods   at,   41 


256 


INDEX 


Fort  Atkinson  (Nebraska),  naming 
of,  30;  sickness  at,  93 

Port  Benton,   46 

Fort  Bridger,  64 

Fort  Calhoun    (Nebraska),  20 

Fort   Clarke,   establisliment   of,   44,   45 

Fort  Crawford,  establishment  of,  18; 
reference  to,  20,  23,  59,  157,  161; 
arrival  of  troops  at,  22 ;  reenforce- 
ment  of  garrison  of,  32,  34;  re- 
moval  of  troops  from,   33 

Fort  Dearborn,  massacre  at,  10,  11, 
208;  reference  to,  18,  117;  re-oc- 
ciipation  of,  18 

Fort   Defiance,    64 

Fort  Des  Moines,  44 

Fort  Dodge,  establisliment  of,  44,  45; 
reference   to,   49 

Fort   Erie,    57 

Fort  Gaines,  43,  48 

Fort  Garry,  40,  188 

Fort  Howard,  erection  of,  19;  refer- 
ence to,  21,   211 

Fort  Leavenworth,  establishment  of, 
56 

Fort  McKay,  name  of  Fort  Shelby 
changed  to,  12;  re-occupation  of 
site   of,    18 

Fort  Pierre,  purchase  of,  2 1 ;  refer- 
ence to,   167 

Fort  Ridgely,  49,  186 

Fort   Ripley,   48 

Fort  St.  Anthony,  29 

Fort  Shelby,  establishment  of,  11, 
12;    capture    of,    by    English,    12 

Fort  Snelling,  significance  of  estab- 
lishment of,  2 ;  establislmient  and 
early  history  of,  18-30;  range  of 
influence  of,  21 ;  erection  of,  27, 
28;  garden  at,  28;  route  of  road 
to,  28,  29;  naming  of,  29,  30;  ser- 
vice of,  in  protection  of  frontier, 
31-53 ;  attitude  of  War  Department 
toward,  31 ;  Territorial  jurisdic- 
tions over  site  of,  32 ;  activities  of 
troops  at,  during  Winnebago  out- 
break, 32-34;  character  and  duties 
of  garrison  of,  34,  35;  service  of 
troops  from,  in  removal  of  Winne- 


bagoes,  35-37;  expeditions  from, 
39-45;  siirveying  party  escorted  by 
dragoons  from,  46,  47;  relation  of, 
to  other  forts,  47;  fort  built  by 
troops  from,  48,  49,  50;  history  of 
later  years  of,  50-53 ;  desire  to  lo- 
cate to\vTi  on  site  of,  50-52 ;  officers' 
training  camp  at,  53 ;  biographical 
sketches  of  men  connected  with, 
54-72;  Dred  Scott  at,  66;  service 
of  Indian  agent  at,  66-72 ;  descrip- 
tion of,  73-83;  view  from,  79,  80; 
glimpses  of  garrison  life  at,  84- 
102 ;  relation  of,  to  Indian  affairs, 
103-118;  efforts  of  authorities  at, 
to  keep  peace  between  Sioux  and 
Chippewas,  119-134;  regulation  of 
fur  trade  by  officers  at,  135-139; 
regulation  of  liquor  traffic  by  of- 
ficers at,  139-145;  work  of  mission- 
aries at,  146-158;  religious  activi- 
ties at,  156-158;  visits  of  travelers 
to,  159-175,  198;  Indian  treaty 
made  at,  176-186;  part  of,  in  open- 
ing country  to  settlement,  184, 
185;  part  of,  in  settlement  of  West, 
187-201;  settlements  around,  187- 
190;  removal  of  settlers  from  vi- 
cinity of,  192-195;  relations  be- 
tween St.  Paul  and,  196-198;  with- 
drawal of  troops  from,  199;  unique 
facts  concerning,  201 ;  arrival  of 
troops  at,  212,  215;  oil  painting 
of,  223 ;  effect  of,  on  Indian  af- 
fairs,   231,    232 

Fort  Sumter,   201 

Fort  Ticonderoga,  201 

Fort  Union,   46 

Fort  William,  9 

Fort  York,   189 

Forts,  resistance  to  building  of,  13; 
location  of,  18;  building  of,  18-20, 
47;  reference  to,  136;  degenera- 
tion  of   Indians  in   vicinity  of,    147 

"Four  Hearts",    68 

Four  Legs,  attempt  of,  to  delay  troops, 
21 

Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  56 

Powle,   Major,   34,    122 


INDEX 


257 


Fox  Indians,  rumor  of  attack  by,  117; 
reference  to,  205 ;  treaty  with,  208 
(see  Sac  and  Fox  Indians) 

Fox  River,  19,  163;  canal  between 
Wisconsin  River  and,  20;  ascent 
of,    by   troops,    21,    22 

France,    1,   92 

Franks,  Mr.,   209 

Fremont,  John   C,   167,   241 

French,  rule  of,  in  West,  2,  3 ;  influ- 
ence of,  over  Indians,  3 ;  extent  of 
trade  during  control   of,   205 

French   traders,    2 

Frontier,  difficulties  on,  15;  plan  for 
protection  of,  19;  service  of  Fort 
Snellingr  in  protection  of,  31-53; 
sers'ice  of  Taylor  on,   59 

Fuel,  use  of  wood  for,  99 

Funerals,  conduct  of,   93 

Fur  trade,  2,  3.  35;  activities  of 
English  in,  3,  4,  5-17;  importance 
of,  to  Canada,  9;  regulation  of, 
15-17,  135-139;  quantity  of  furs 
secured  in,  137;  use  of  liquor  in, 
139,   140;   extent  of,   205 

Pur  traders   (see  Traders) 

Furs,  taking  of,  to  Canada,  6;  sort- 
ing and  packing  of,  81 :  quantity 
and  kind  of,  secured  by  traders, 
137;  annual  export  of,  from  Can- 
ada, 207 

Gaines,   Edmund   P.,   227 

Gale,   Captain,   131 

Galena    (Illinois),   32,    151,    168,    170, 

175,   190 
Galtier,   Lucian,   158,   195 
Game,    killing    of,    42 
Garden,   products   of,   28;   making   of, 

95,    96 
Gardiner,   Captain,   46 
Gardner,   Lieutenant,   216 
Garrison,  life  of,  at  Fort  Snelling,  84- 

102 
Gear,  Ezekiel,  purchases  made  by,  88, 

89;    service    of,    as    chaplain,    157; 

reference   to,    169,    170,    173 
Geese,    96 
"General  Ashley"   (keel  boat),  33 


"General  Brooke"    (st<?amboat),  169 

"General  Fatigue",  85 

Genoa    (Italy),   70 

Geological  surveys,  beginning  of,   165 

George  the  Third,  medals  of,   112 

Gettysburg,  Battle  of,   63 

Ghent,   negotiations   at,   209 

Good  Road  (Chief),  83;  village  of, 
155 

Gooding,    Jlrs.,   23 

Gooding,    iliss,    29 

Goods  for  Indian  trade,  136 

Goose  River,   40 

Gorgets,    112,    114 

Gorman,    W.   A.,    197 

Graft,   charges   of,   51 

Graham's  Point,  50 

Grant,   Peter,   trading   post  of,   206 

Grapeshot,    77 

Gray,  A.,  report  by,   8 

Great  Britain,  exploration  of  domain 
of,  1 ;  diplomatic  correspondence 
with,    140 

Great  Lakes,   2,   103 

Green,  Piatt  Rogers,  marriage  of,  29; 
reference   to,    83 

Green  Bay,  4,  21,  138;  fort  on,  19; 
fur  trade  at,  205 

Greenly,    Mr.,    43,    44 

Greonough,   I.   K.,    iDl,    143 

Green's  Villa,   82 

Grist   mill,    82 

Grooms,   Mr.,   142,   151 

Groseilliers,  Medard  Chuart,  explora- 
tion by,   3 

Guardhouse,    75 

Gull   Lake,    179 

Guns,    giving   of,    to    Indians,    110 

ITalf-breeds,    difficulties    with,    37-40; 

reference  to,   157,   184;   location   of, 

around  fort,   188,   189 
Hamilton,    Mrs.    Alexander,    visit    of, 

to  Fort  Snelling,  168 
Hannibal    (negro   .servant),    90 
Harness,    75 

Harriet   (negro  woman),  66 
Harriman,   D.  B.,  232 
Harrison,   William  H.,   57 


258 


INDEX 


Harrodstown     (Kentucky),    201 

Hartford    (Connecticut),    21 

Hastings    (Minnesota),    26 

Hay,  raising  of,   96 

Hays,  John,   190 

Heald,   Natlian,    10 

Heiskell,  William  King,  Fort  Snelling 
reservation   sold  by,   51 

Hennepin,   Lonis,   3 

Henry,  Alexander,  206 

Herring,    Elbert,    221 

Hiawatha,   62 

Higby,  James,   196 

"Highland   Mary",   43 

Hill,  James  J.,  235 

Hivernants,    136 

Hole-in-the-Day,  124,  126,  129,  228, 
231;    career  of,   179,    180 

Holland,    92 

Homesickness,  25 

Horses,  feeding  of,  85 :  raising  of 
hay  for,  96;  exchange  of,  for  liquor, 
141 

Hospital,  75;  taking  of  sick  soldiers 
to,    85 ;   number  of  soldiers  in,   93 

Howitzers,    77 

Hudson's  Bay,   189 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  8,  140,  188, 
206,    244 

Huggins,  Alexander  G.,   154 

Hull,  William,  10,  57;  surrender  of 
Detroit  by,   57,   58 

Hunt,  Abigail,  marriage  of,  57 

Hunting,  skill  of  Scott  in,  60,  61; 
success  of  soldiers  in,  96,  97;  ac- 
tivities of  Indians  in,  105,  106; 
reference  to,  111,  188;  efforts  to 
supplement,    by    farming,    148 

Hunting   grounds,    82 

Hunting  parties,  size  of,  38;  encoun- 
ters by,  129;  watching  of,  by  In- 
dian  agent,    129,    130 

Illinois,  admission  of,  15;  Indian  out- 
break in,  32-34 

Illinois   River,    177 

Indian  affairs,  regulation  of,  34,  35, 
67 ;  relation  of  Fort  Snelling  to, 
103-118,    231 


Indian  agency,  buildings  of,  77;  pro- 
posed removal  of,  78  ;  councils  with 
Indians  at,   106-109 

Indian  agent,  protection  for,  18;  ser- 
vice of  Taliaferro  as,  66-71 ;  re- 
lation between  military  authorities 
and,  67;  house  of,  77,  78;  task  of, 
103,  104;  visit  of  Indians  to,  111; 
aid  given  to  sick  Indians  by.  111, 
112;  efforts  of,  to  promote  peace 
between  Sioux  and  Chippewas,  119- 
134 ;  sei"vice  of,  as  mediator,  191, 
192;   reference  to,  220 

Indian  ball,   101 

Indian  countiT,  preparations  for 
march  into,   93-95 

Indian  dances,  holding  of,  for  Cat- 
lin,    164 

Indian  schools,   118 

Indian  Territory,  removal  of  Indians 
to,    63,    64 

Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States, 
History,  Conditions,  and  Future 
Prospects  of  the,   62 

Indian  villages,   83 

Indiana,  admission  of,  15;  reference 
to,   63 

Indians,  influence  of  French  traders 
over,  3 ;  trade  of  English  with,  4 ; 
power  of  English  over,  5-17,  114, 
115;  support  of  British  by,  in  War 
of  1812,  8-12;  treaties  with,  12, 
13;  sending  of  presents  to,  13,  23; 
visits  of,  to  Drummond  Island,  13, 
14;  proposals  for  dealing  with,  15; 
regulation  of  trade  with,  15-17;  re- 
fusal of,  to  supply  troops  with 
food,  26;  relation  of  Fort  Snell- 
ing to,  31;  hostility  of,  32-34;  op- 
position of,  to  half-breeds,  37; 
power  of  agents  over,  67;  tepees 
of,  73;  blacksmith  work  for,  78; 
legend  of,  concerning  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  81,  82;  treatment  of  de- 
serters by,  92,  93 ;  plan  for  civili- 
zation of,  103;  number  of,  around 
Fort  Snelling,  103,  104;  character 
of  life  among,  104-106;  councils 
with,     at    Fort     Snelling,     106-109; 


INDEX 


259 


effect  of  military  display  on,  lOS, 
109;  relief  of  sufferings  of,  109, 
110;  visit  of,  to  agent.  111;  help 
to,  in  sickness,  111,  112;  vaccina- 
tion of,  112;  evidence  of  power  if 
government  given  to,  by  Fort  SncK- 
ing,  112-118;  medals  and  certifi- 
cates given  to,  113,  114;  influence 
of  Fort  Snelling  over,  11 6- 118;  reg- 
ulation of  fur  trade  with,  135-139; 
goods  used  in  trade  with,  136:  ef- 
forts to  suppress  liquor  traffic  with, 
139-145;  evil  effects  of  liquor  on, 
141 ;  work  of  missionaries  among, 
146-158;  degeneration  among,  147; 
log  village  for,  149 ;  work  of,  at 
farming,  150;  assistance  to,  in 
farming,  152,  153;  boarding-schocl 
for,  156;  effect  of  religious  work 
among,  158;  paintings  of,  by  Cat- 
lin,  163,  164;  relations  of  United 
States  with,  176-178;  speeches  by, 
181,  182;  disputes  between  settlers 
and,  191,192;  drunkenness  among, 
194;  use  of,  by  British,  208;  plans 
for  permanent  territoi-j'  for,  209; 
respect  of,  for  Sabbath,  237;  steam- 
boats feared   by,   239,   240 

Indigo,    purchase   of,    88 

Intemperance,  prevalence  of,  in  gar- 
rison,   89,    90 

Interior,  Department  of.  Indian  af- 
fairs placed  under  control  of,   67 

Interpreter,  service  of  Campbell  as, 
71,  72;  danger  to,  from  fire,  78; 
activities  of,  129,  130,  131;  ser- 
vice  of   Renville   as,    161 

Interpreters,  foreigners  as,   138 

"lone"    (steamboat),   169 

Iowa,  journey  of  Kearny  across,  29; 
removal  of  Winnebagoes  from,  35, 
36,  47;  expeditions  from  Fort 
Snelling    into,    41-45 

Iowa,  Territory  of,  32,  158 

Iowa  City,  Major  Woods  at,  41,  42; 
reference  to,  43;  description  of,  216 

Iowa    County,    petition    from,    41 

Iowa  Indians,   177;   treaty  with,  20H 

Iowa   River,    difficulties   with   Indians 


along,   41,   42-44;    departure   of   In- 
dians   from,    44 

Ireland,    92 ;    immigrants    from,    1 89 

Iron,  mining  of,  25 

Irving,    Washington,    14 

Izard,    George,    57 

Jack,  Captain,  war  v.ith,  65 

Jackson,    Andrew,    15 

Jail,    use    of,    196 

James,  Edward,  settlers  removed  by, 
195 

James    River,    116 

Jar\-is,    Doctor,    112 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  statement  of,  con- 
cerning trade,  4 

Jesuits,    work   of,    146 

Jewellers,   92 

Jews'  harps,  giving  of,  to  Indians, 
107 

Johnson,    George,    118 

Johnson   County    (Iowa),   41 

Kansas    State   Historical   Society,   221 

Kaposia,  83,  152;  missionary  at,  154; 
abandonment  of  mission  at,  155; 
school  at,   156;   battle  near,  232 

Kearny,  Stephen  Watts,  survey  of 
route  for  military  road  by,  29 

Keating,   William  H.,    161,   162 

Keelboats,    86 

Kemi^er,  Jackson,  letters  describing 
visit  of,  to  Fort  Snelling,  169-175; 
reference  to,  238,  242 

Kentucky,  settlement  of,  14 ;  refer- 
ence   to,    15,    63 

Kickapoo    Indians,    treaty    with,    208 

Kinzie,    John,     117 

Kitchens,    75 

Kittson,   Norman   W.,    140,   235,   245 

Knives,    136 

I.a  Baye,   205 

Laborers,    92 

Lac    dn    Flambeau,    118 

Lac  du  Traverse,   10 

Lac    qui    Parle,    110,    116,    144.    I'.t, 

155 
Laidlaw,   Williiim,    138 


260 


INDEX 


Lake  Calhoun,  82,  96,  118,  133,  148, 
153,    154;    mission  on,    83 

Lake  Harriet,  82,  96,  127,  154,  198; 
Indian  boarding-school  at,   156 

Lake  Huron,   13,   14,   19,  21 

Lake   Itasca,   167 

Lake  Julia,   163 

Lake   Michigan,    17,    19,    21 

Lake  Mini-Waken,  40 

Lake  of  the  Isles,  82,   96 

Lake  of  the  Woods,   16,   140,   209 

Lake  Pepin,  23,  24,  29,  93,  14"2,  171, 
172,  212 

Lake    Pokegama,    232 

Lake    St.   Croix,    128 

Lake  Superior,  trading  posts  on,  6 ; 
reference   to,   9,   47,    160,   162,    172 

Lake  Traverse,   103,   116 

Lake    Winnebago,    21 

Lake  Winnipeg,  4,   162,   189,   205 

Lakes,   hunting   in   region    of,    82,    83 

Landing  at  Fort  Snelling,  description 
of,   73 

Lands,  questions  concerning,   111 

Land's  End,   138 

Land-seekers,  effect  of  coming  of,  117, 
118;    land    cessions    urged   by,    176 

Latrobe,   Charles  Joseph,   223 

"Laughing  Water,"    82 

Laundresses,  quarters  of,   75 

Lead  mines,  178 

Leavenworth,  Henry,  21,  29,  63,  190, 
211;  message  of,  to  Indian  chief, 
21,  22 ;  journey  of,  to  month  of 
Minnesota  River,  22-24;  arrival  of, 
at  mouth  of  Minnesota  River,  24; 
return  of,  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  24; 
camp  moved  by,  27;  successor  to, 
27;    sketch   of   life    of,    55,    56 

Lee,  Francis,  49 

Leech  Lake,  Pike  at,  6;  trading  post 
on,    6;    reference   to,    130,    179 

Legend  concerning  Falls  of  St.  An- 
thony,  81,    82 

Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,  The,   14 

Lewis,  Meriwether,  expedition  under, 
4,   5 ;   reference  to,   72 

Library,  purchase  of  books  for,  87; 
reference   to,   99 


Licenses,  granting  of,  to  traders,  16, 
137,    138 

Linn  County    (Iowa),   41 

Liquor,  86 ;  effect  of,  on  Indians, 
129,  141;  suppression  of  traffic  in, 
129;  power  of,  among  Indians,  139, 
140;  prices  charged  for,  141,  142; 
destruction   of,   143,   144 

Liquor  traffic,   regulation   of,    139-145 

Little    Crow,    68,    116,    117,    132,    155 

Little  Falls    (Minnesota),  6,   81 

Little  Thunder,   118 

Lockwood,  Judge,   170 

Log  cabins,   erection   of,    25 

Log  village  for  Indians,  149 

Long,  Stephen  H.,  site  for  fort  ap- 
proved by,  19;  reference  to,  95; 
expedition  of,  to  upper  Mississippi, 
160-163 

Longfellow,    Henry   W.,    62 

Lookout   platform,    74 

Loomis,  Gustavus,  36,  156,  166;  pun- 
ishment  inflicted   by,    90 

Loras,  Mathias,  127,  231;  activities 
of,  at  Mendota,   158 

Lords    of   the    North,    54-72 

Louisiana,  transfer  of,  7 

Louisiana   Purchase,   effect   of,   4 

Louisville     (Kentucky),     169 

Lover's   rock,    172 

Lower  Red  Cedar  Lake,  trading  post 
on,    6 

"Loyal   Hanna"    (steamboat),    169 

Lumber,  making  of,   27,   28,   82 

McCain,  H.  P.,  acknowledgments  to,  ix 

M'Gillis,    Hugh,    6 

McGregor,   John  R.,   196 

McKenny,  T.  L.,  17 

McKen'zie,     Kenneth,     trading     house 

bought   by,    79;    reference   to,    138 
McLean,  Nathaniel,   71,   220 
McMahon,  Doctor,  121 
McNeil,    Colonel,    117 
Mackinac,    capture   of,    by   British,    9, 

10;   reference   to,    11,    12,    18,    lis, 

146,     201,     209;     transfer     of,     to 

Americans,    18 
Madison,  James,  12 


INDEX 


261 


Magazine,    74;    contents   of,    76,    77 

Ma-ghe-g-a-bo,    182,    183 

JIagTuder,   William  T.,   63,   186 

Mahoney,  Sergeant,  purchases  made 
by,    89 

Mail,  carrying  of,  to  Fort  Snelling, 
97-99,   101 

Maize,    raising   of,    95 

"Malta"     (steamboat),    169 

Man-ofthe-sky,   133 

Mandan    (North  Dakota),   5 

Mandan  Indians,  Lewis  and  Clark 
among,    5;    reference   to,    206 

Maple    sugar,    120 

March,    preparations   for,    93-95 

Marengo  (Iowa),  difficulties  with  In- 
dians  near,   42,   43 

Marion    (Iowa),  42 

Marquette,    Jacques,    3,    146 

Marryat,  Frederick,  visit  of,  to  Fort 
Snelling,   168,  229 

Marsh,  John,  letter  from,  33;  ser- 
vice of,  as  tutor,  -100,  101 

Marston,  Major,  22 

Massacre  of  1862,  118 

Massy,   Louis,    192 

Mather,  William  Williams,  visit  of, 
to    Fort    Snelling,    165 

Mdewakanton  Sioux  Indians,  treaty 
with,   247 

Meals,  character  of,  85-87 

Medals,  giving  up  of,  by  Indians,  6; 
giving  of,  by  English,  112;  giving 
of,  by  United  States,  113,  114; 
slur   against,   145 

Mendota,  treaty  of,  49,  247;  settle- 
ment at,  80,  81;  headquarters  of 
fur  trade  at,  135,  136;  factor  at, 
139;  reference  to,  142,  212,  223, 
245;  religious  activities  at,  157, 
158;  traders  at,  188 

Menominee  Indians,  unwillingness  of, 
to  make  treaty,  13 ;  reference  to, 
177 

Mess-rooms,    75 

Mexican  War,  services  of  Taylor  in, 
59;  services  of  Scott  in,  61;  ref- 
erence to,  63;  service  of  Canby  in, 
64 


Mexico,   City  of,   64,    197 

Michigan,   Territorj'  of,   32 

Military  frontier,  forvvard  movement 
of,  17,  18 

MilitaiT  posts,  establishment  of,  2 ; 
permission    for   establishment   of,    7 

Military  reservation,  192 ;  removal  of 
settlers  from,  192-195 

Militar>-  road,  survey  of  route  for, 
28,   29 

Milltarj'  rules,  severity  of,   91 

Mille  Lac,  180 

Miller,  John,   19 

Mills,   82,   149;  guarding  of,   96 

Minneapolis,  real  estate  speculation 
at,  50 

Minnehaha  Creek,  27 

Minnehaha  Falls,   62,  96,  127,   198 

Minnesota,  Indians  in,  103;  diocese 
of  Dubuque  extended  over,  158; 
reference  to,   177 

Minnesota,  Territory  of,  32,  216;  or- 
ganization  of,    196 

Minnesota  River,  Carver  on,  1;  ref- 
erence to,  2,  21,  30,  31,  47,  55, 
74,  106,  110,  111,  118,  121,  138, 
140,  146,  154,  155,  185,  187,  207; 
cession  of  land  at  mouth  of,  se- 
cured by  Pike,  7,  8;  promise  of 
trading  house  at  mouth  of,  17;  se- 
lection of  site  for  fort  at  mouth  of, 
19;  arrival  of  troops  at  mouth  of, 
24,  212;  fort  located  at  junction 
of  Mississippi  River  and,  27;  con- 
centration of  Sioux  Indians  along, 
49;  scenery  at  mouth  of,  79,  80; 
Indian  villages  on,  83 ;  clearing  of 
timber  from  banks  of,  99;  expedi- 
tion up,  162;  name  of,  206 

Minnesota  Valley,  settlement  of,  39; 
geological  sui-vey  in,   165 

Mission,   83 

Missionaries,   3,   118,    146-158;    meth- 
ods    of,     suggested    by    Taliaferro, 
150,  151;  service  of,  199 
Missionary  societies,   145 
Missions,  activities  at,  155 
Mississippi  River,   Carver  on,    J  ;    ref- 
erence   to,    2,    13,    15,    21,    30,    48, 


262 


INDEX 


55,  58,  74,  103,  107,  120,  126, 
129,  131,  135,  143,  158,  167,  179, 
187,  205,  207;  foreiprn  jurisdictions 
over  country  west  of,  2,  3 ;  expedi- 
tion of  Pike  up,  4 ;  activities  of 
British  traders  on,  5-8;  cession  of 
land  on,  secured  by  Pike,  7,  8; 
treaties  witli  Indians  on,  12,  13; 
proposed  trading  posts  on,  17; 
forts  on,  18,  19;  fort  located  at 
junction  of  Minnesota  River  and, 
27;  exploration  of,  by  Cass,  28; 
scenery  along,  79,  80 ;  road  along, 
81;  Indian  villages  on,  83:  low 
water  in,  86;  seizure  of  liquor  on, 
144;  first  steamboat  on  upper,  159, 
160;  attempt  to  find  source  of, 
163;  discovery  of  source  of,  167; 
advertisements  of  trip  on,  168, 
169;  description  of  journey  up, 
169-175;  reasons  for  cession  of 
land  east  of,  178,  179;  cession  of 
land  east  of,  182-185,  192;  mili- 
tary reservation   on,    193 

Mississippi  Valley,  settlement  of,  39 ; 
erection  of  military  posts  in,  47; 
work  of  missionaries  in,  146;  open- 
ing of,  to  settlement,  185;  refer- 
ence to,  200 

Missouri,  increase  in  population  of, 
15;   reference  to,   66 

Missouri,    Territory   of,    29,    32 

Missouri  Compromise,   66 

Missouri  Fur  Company,  murder  of 
employees   of,    113 

Missouri   Indians,   116 

Missouri  River,  2,  3,  6,  13,  21,  30, 
37,  46,  56,  72,  107,  112,  113,  116, 
135,  138,  148,  167,  205,  216,  230; 
English  traders  on,  4;  Lewis  and 
Clark  expedition  on,  4,  5;  treaties 
with  Indians  on,  12,  13;  forts  on, 
19,  20;  return  of  Sacs  and  Foxes 
from,  42  ;  removal  of  Indians  to,  44 

Modoc  Indians,   war  with,   65 

Molino  del  Rey,  Battle  of,  death  of 
Scott  in,  60,   61,   62 

Moncrief,  W.  T.,   226 

Monroe,   James,   36,  49,   186,   236 


Monsieur  Tonson,    100 

"Monsoon"    (steamboat),    169 

Montreal,   activities  of  merchants  of,  4 

Moores,   Hazen,   143 

Morgan's   Bluff,    89 

Morrill,    Mr.,    50 

Morse,  Jedidiah,  plan   of,  for  civilizing 

Indians,   103,    118 
Mud  Lake,  125,  191 
Mumford,   Mr.,   101 
Murderers,    surrender   of,   by   Indians, 

113;  killing  of,  by  Chippewas,   122- 

124;   punishment  of,   125,   126,   132 
Murphy,  R.  G.,  71,  145 
Musick,    Peter,    killing    of    cattle    of, 

191 
Musket  flints,   77 
Muskrat  furs,  exchange  of,  for  liquor, 

142 
Muskrats,  trapping  of,   105 
Mutinies,   causes  of,   91 

Nadin,    complaint    of,    181 

Ivadovieseronoms,   119 

Navajo  Indians,  expedition  against, 
64 

Needles,   purchase  of,   88 

Nelson   River,   189 

Neutral  Ground,  removal  of  Winne- 
bagoes  from,  47 

New  Mexico,   64 

New  Orleans,  56 

New  Ulm    (Minnesota),   49 

New  York  City,  56,  145,  172,  175; 
draft  riots  in,  64 

Niagara  Falls,  55,   173 

Nichols,  R.  C,  building  of  Fort  Arm- 
strong by,  18 

Nicollet,  Jean,  exploration  by,  3 

Nicollet,  Joseph  N.,  explorations  by, 
166,  167;  reference  to,  180 

Nine  Mile  River,   174 

Nokay  River,  48 

North,    Lords  of,    54-72 

North  Dakota,  40 

North  West  Company,  activities  of, 
4 ;  traders  of,  5 ;  extent  of  com- 
merce of,  6;  reference  to,  8,  9,  10, 
244 


INDEX 


263 


Northern  Pacific  Survey,  46 
Northwest,  i>eriod  of  foreign  rule  in, 
1-17;  reference  to,  18;  importance 
of  Fort  Snelling  in,  55,  118; 
sniardian  of,  30;  work  of  mission- 
aries in,  146-158;  coming  of  first 
steamboat  to,  159,  160;  missionary 
bishop  of,  169,  242;  part  of  Fort 
Snelling  in  development  of,  109, 
200;   meaning  of  term,  205 

Oak  Grove,  mission  at,  155 

Oats,  raising  of,  95 

O'Fallon,   Benjamin,   16 

Officer  of  the  day,  85 

Officers'  Mess,  88 

Officers'  quarters,  descriptioiT  of,  75; 
fire  in,  101 

Officers'  Training  Camp,   53 

'0.   H.  Perry"    (keelboat),  33,  34 

Ojibway  Indians,  home  of,  103 

Old  Northwest,  settlement  of,  14 ;  ref- 
erence to,  205 

Oliphant,   Laurence,   222 

Oliver,  Lieutenant,  experiences  of,   26 

Orderly-room,   75 

Ordnance,  alleged  lack  of,  76;  stock 
of,   76,   77 

Ordnance  sergeant,  quarters  of,  75 

Ordway,  John,   206 

Oregon  treaty,  46 

Orphan   asylum,    118 

Orphans,  fund  for  relief  of,  87 

Osage  Indians,  treaty  with,  208 

Ottav.^a  Indians,   177 

Otter  furs,  exchange  of,  for  liquor, 
142 

Otter  Tail  Lake,   37,   131 

Otto,  I-Ielen,  acknowledgments  to,  x 

Pacific  Coast,  emigration  to,  45;  ne- 
cessity of  railroad  to,  46 ;  survey 
of  route  for  railroad  to,  46,  47 

Pacific   Northwest,   205 

Page,  Captain,  36 

Painted    rock,    175 

Painters,  92 

"Palmyra"    (steamboat),    168 

Paper,   purchase  of,   88 


Papermakors,    92 

Parade   ground,   73 ;   sweeping  of,   85 

Parkman,  Francis,   146 

Parties,   holding  of,    100,    101 

Pattern   farms,    103 

Patterson,  Robert,  visit  of,  to  Fort 
Snelling,    164 

Pawnee  Indians,  campaign  against, 
56 

Pa>nnaster,   office   of,    75 

Peace  conferences  between  Indians, 
131 

Peace  pipe,   107;  smoking  of,   126 

Pelzer,  I^ouis,  vii 

Pembina,  hunting  party  from,  38; 
expedition  to,  39,  40,  45;  refer- 
ence to,   140,    163 

Pemmican,   making  of,   37 

Peoria    (Illinois),   99 

Pepper,    purchase   of,    88 

Perrot,  Nicholas,  3 

Perry,  Abraham,   192 

Perry,    Mrs.   Abraham,    193 

Pe-she-ke,   speech  by,    183 

Pettijohn,  Eli,   purchase  made  by,   88 

Phelan,  Edward,   190 

Philadelphia,   161,   164 

Physician  at  Fort  Snelling.  sketch  of 
life  of,  65,  66;  service  of,  to  set- 
tlers,  190,  191 

Pianka.shaw  Indians,  treaty  with,  208 

Picnic  grounds,   82 

Picnics,   96 

Pike,  Zebulon  M.,  expedition  Tinder, 
4 ;  activities  of  English  traders  in- 
vestigated by,  5-8 ;  cession  of  land 
secured  by,  7,  8;  reference  to,  11, 
22,  139,  146,  179,  192,  193; 
promise  made  by,    17 

Pike's   Island,    187 

Pillager  band  of  Chippewas,  treaty 
with,  45;   reference  to,    179,   183 

Pilot  Knob,  80 

Pine  Bend,  86 

Pine  Coulie,   232 

Pine  timber,   172 

Pinisha,  83 

Pipestone  quarry,  trip  to,    167 

Pioneers,    protection    of,    against    In- 


264 


INDEX 


dians,     116;     coining:    of.     199     (see 
Settlers) 

Pittsburgh,   160 

Plattsburg,   57 

Pleasures  of  soldiers,  96,  97 

Plympton,  J.,   65,   125,   126,    192,   193 

Poagre,   Sarah,   154 

Poinsett,  J.  R.,  194 

Police  guard,    85 

Pond,  Gideon,  coming  of,  to  Port 
Snelling,  151;  work  of,  among  In- 
dians,   152-156 

Pond,  S.  W.,  72,  103;  coming  of,  to 
Fort  Snelling,  151;  work  of,  among 
Indians,   152-156 

Pontiac's  conspiracy,  3 

Pope,   John,   215 

Pork,  86;  ration  of,  109;  giving  of, 
to    Indians,    110 

Portage  des   Sioux,   17 

Post  fund,  87 

Post  school,  75 ;  fund  for  mainten- 
ance of,  87;   organization  of,   101 

Potatoes,  raising  of,  95 

Potosi    (Wisconsin),   170,   173 

Pottawattamie  Indians,  42,  177; 
treaty  with,  208 

Poupon,   Isadore,    230 

Powder,   stock  of,   77 

Poweshiek    (Chief/,    44 

Prairie  du  Chien,  11,  16,  20,  21,  26, 
32,  33,  34,  41,  58,  66,  92,  122, 
140,  142,  149,  161,  164,  170,  172, 
173,  181,  187  195,  243,  246;  es- 
tablishment of  Fort  Shelby  at,  11, 
12;  capture  of,  by  British,  12; 
round-about  roiite  to,  13 ;  Fort 
Crawford  at,  1 8 ;  arrival  of  troops 
at,  22 ;  return  of  Leavenworth  to, 
24 ;  carrying  of  mail  between  Fort 
Snelling  and,  97-99,  101;  treaty 
made  at,   in   1825,   130,   177,   178 

Preemption,   192 

Prescott,   Pliilander,   212 

Presents,  giving  of,  to  Indians,  13, 
23,    107,    111 

President  of  United  States,   16 

Prevost,   George,   8 

Prices,  fixing  of,  87 


Prison,    number    of    soldiers    in,    91 
Prisoners,   guarding   of,    85 
Provencalle,    Louis,    143 
Provisions,     distribution     of,     to     In- 
dians,   110;    character  of,   213 
Pump,    74 

Punishments,  character  of,  90,  91 
Puthuff,    William  H.,   209 

Quaife,  Milo  M.,  acknowledgments  to, 
ix 

Quarrels   in   garrison,    102 

Quarrying,  employment  of  soldiers  at, 
96 

Quartermaster,  trouble  between  physi- 
cian  and,    65,   66;   office  of,    75 

Quebec,  118,  208 

Radisson,    Pierre    Esprit,    exploration 

by,   3;   reference  to,   119 
Railroad,   survey   of  route   for,   46,   47 
Rainville,    Mr.,    229 
Raisins,  purchase  of,  88 
Ramsey,    Alexander,    36,    182;    treaty 

made    by,     45 ;     council    called     by, 

131,  132 
Rations,     character    of,     85-87,     109; 

reference    to,    95;    issuance    of,    to 

Indians,    181,    182 
Real  estate  speculation,   50 
Reconnoitering,    85 
Red  Bii"d,   hostility  of  Indians  under, 

33,   34 
Red  Bird  War,   214 
"Red   Head,"    108,    228 
Red    River    carts,    caravans    of,    235, 

236 
Red  River  of  the  North,  trading  posts 

on,    4,    206;    reference    to,    16,    49, 

50,    103,    138,    151,    188,   205,   236; 

difficulties    with    half-breeds    from, 

37-40;    expeditions   to,    38-40,    162; 

Lord  Selkirk's  colony  on,   188 
Red    River   Trail,    46 
Red    Wing     (Chief),     92;     village    of, 

171,   172;   payment  of  annuities  to 

Indians   under,    185 
Regulations    for    the    Army,    General, 

84,   86 


INDEX 


265 


Renville,  Daniel,  156 

Renville,    Joseph,    138,    191;    service 

of,  as  interpreter,  161 
Renville,    Rosalie,    156 
Republicans,    charges    of    graft    made 

by,  51 
Reveille,   84 

Revival,   success  of,    156 
Reynolds,  Lieutenant,  86 
Riggs,    S.   R.,    144 
Road  to  Fort  Snelling,   73,   81 
Robertson,    Mr.,   work   of,    155,   156 
Robertson,   Gustavus  A.,   156 
Rock  Island,  building  of  fort  on,   18; 

garrison  for  fort  on,   22;  reference 

to,  117 
Rock   River,    hostility   of  Indians   on, 

12,   13 
Rocky  Mountains,  16 
Roll  call,   84,  85;  punishment  for  ab- 
sence  from,    90 
Round    Tower,    Old,    72 ;    description 

of,    74 
Routine  duties,  description  of,   84,  85 
Rum,   86;    evil  effect  of,   139 
Rum  River,    27,    101,    130;    battle   on, 

128 
Runners,      sending      of,      to      Indian 

camps,    130 
Rupel,  J.   B.  F.,   143 
Ryerson,  Private,  purchases  by,   88 

Sabbath,    respect   of   Indians   for,    237 
Sac  Indians,   hostility  of,   13;   pursuit 

of,    35 ;     reference    to,    205 ;    treaty 

with,    208 
Sac    and   Fox   Indians,    35,    42,    177; 

return  of,  to  Iowa,  42 
St.  Anthony    (Minnesota),  real   estate 

speculation    at,    50 
St.  Croix  River,  trading  posts  on,  6; 

cession    of    land    at    mouth    of,    8 ; 

reference    to,    126,    172,    174,    173, 

180,  207 
St.  Jcseph's,  10 
St.  Lawrence  River,  205 
St.    Louis,    4,    5,    11,    22,    48,    56,    58, 

69,    72,    120,    159,    162,    169,    170, 

172,    213,    228;    troops    from,    34; 


bringing   of    supplies   from,    86 

St.  Paul,  36,  46,  71,  216,  236;  real 
estate  speculation  at,  50 ;  founding 
of,  195,  196;  relations  between 
fort  and,  196-198 

St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Manitoba 
Railroad    Company,    235 

St.   Peter's,    170,   172,   173,    175,   206 

St.  Peter's  agency,  service  of  Talia- 
ferro at,  68-71 

St.  Peter's  River  (see  Minnesota 
River) 

St.   Vincent    (Minnesota),    206 

Salt,  86 

Sandy  Lake,  trading  post  on,  6 ;  ref- 
erence to,   114,   120,  180 

Sanford,  John  F.  A.,  Dred  Scott 
bought  by,    66 

Santa  Fc  Trail,  dangers  on,  56 

Sauk  River,   133 

Sault  Ste.  Marie,   119,   163 

Saw  mill,  erection  of,  27;  reference 
to,  82,  172 

Saxton,    Lieutenant,    46 

Say,  Thomas,   161,   162 

Scalp  dance,    123,    128,   131,   132 

Scalps,   taking  of,    128 

Scenerj',  description  of,  aroui\d  Fort 
Snelling,    79,    80 

School,  organization  of,  101 

Schoolcraft,  Henry  R.,  statement  by, 
14;  reference  to,  119,  130 

Schools,  success  of,  among  Indians, 
156 

Scientific    expeditions,    109 

Scotland,   92;   immigrants  from,  189 

Scott,  Dred,  fugitive  slave  case  of,  66 

Scott,  Martin,  sketch  of  life  of,  59-62 

Scott,  Winfield,  naming  of  Fort  Snel- 
ling suggested  by,  29,  30;  refer- 
ence to,  55 

Scott  vs.  Sanford,   66 

Scrub  brush,   purchase  of,   88 

Scurvy,  ravages  of,  20,   213 

Second    United    States   Infantry.    63 

Secretary  of  War,   19,    10'3,   130,   149 

Selkirk,  Lord,  colony  of,   188,  189 

Settlement,  opening  up  country  to, 
184,    185 


266 


INDEX 


Settlements,   protection   for,    18 

Settlers,  annoyance  of,  by  Indians, 
42,  43 ;  desire  of,  for  land  cession, 
178;  service  of  Fort  Snelling  to, 
187-201;  disputes  between  Indians 
and,  191,  192;  memorial  of,  192; 
efforts  to  exclude  from  reservation, 
192-195;    ejection   of,    195,   246 

SejTnour,    Samuel,    161 

Shakopee    (Minnesota),    83 

Shakpay,   83 

Sliambaugh,  Benj.  F.,  introduction  Ijy, 
V ;    acknowledgments  to,   vii,   ix 

Shapaydan,  83 

Shaw,   Mr.,   22 

Sherman,  W.  T.,  military  career  of, 
63 

Sheyenne  River,    103,    138 

Shields,  James,   197 

Shining  Mountains,    3 

Shipler,  Jacob,   196 

Shoemakers,   92 

Shoes,  purchase  of,   88 

Shot,  stock  of,   77 

Sibley,  General,   64 

Sibley,  Henry  H.,  description  by,  26, 
27;  house  of,  80;  hunting  by,  96, 
97;  reference  to,  110,  145,  180, 
213,  231,  239;  relations  between 
officers  of  fort  and,  lS9 

Sibley   House,    223 

Sick,  taking  of,  to  hospital,  85 

Sickness,  prevalence  of,  among  troops, 
26,  213;  losses  because  of,  93;  help 
to  Indians  in   case  of.   111,   112 

Sinclair.    Mr.,    245 

Sioux  Indians,  early  traders  among, 
3 ;  land  at  mouth  of  Minnesota 
ceded  by,  7,  8 ;  visits  of,  to  Drum- 
mond  Island,  13,  14;  goods  sent 
to,  22 ;  treaty  between  Chippewas 
and,  28;  unfriendliness  of,  33; 
part  of,  in  Black  Hawk  War.  35; 
hostility  between  half-breeds  and, 
37;  reference  to,  48,  98,  101,  151, 
158,  171,  177,  178.  179,  180, 
184,  198,  205,  229,  231,  242; 
concentration  of,  49 ;  massacre  by, 
52,    83 ;    visit    of,    to    Washington, 


68;  villages  of,  83;  home  of,  103; 
number  of,  103,  104;  migrations 
of,  to  Canada,  106;  vaccination  of, 
112;  hostility  of,  114;  disillusion- 
ment of,  115;  influence  of  Fort 
Snelling  over,  116-118;  rumor  of 
attack  by,  117;  feuds  between 
Chippewas  and.  119-134;  killing  of 
Chippewas  by,  121,  125;  surrender 
of  murderers  by,  122,  125,  126; 
battle  between  Chippewas  and,  127, 
128,  232;  boundary  line  between 
Chippewas  and,  130,  131,  178; 
imprisonment  of,  132;  untrust- 
worthiness  of,  134;  temperance 
society  among,  145 ;  farmer  for, 
155;  language  of,  174;  delegation 
of,  to  Washington,  179;  treaty 
made  by,  184,  247;  payment  of 
annuities  to,  185,  186;  amount  of 
land  ceded  by,  in  1805,  207 
Sioux  of  the  Lakes,  treaty  with,  208 
Sioux    of    St.     Peter's    River,    treaty 

with,  208 
Sioux-Chippewa  boundary  line.  48 
Sioux  language,   school  books  in,    156 
Sisseton     Sioux     Indians,     113,     129, 

228;   treaty  with,   247 
Sixth    United    States    Infantry,    com- 
pany of,   in  Iowa,  44;   reference  to, 
48,    57,    63,    197;    frontier    service 
of,   49 
Skunk  River,   42 
Smallpox,    efforts    to    check,    112 
Smith,    C.    F.,    expedition    under,    40; 
site    for    fort    recommended    by,    49, 
50 
Smith,   William   R..    180 
Smiiggling   of   whiskey,    142.    143 
Snelling,    Josiah,   building   of   fort   by, 
27,   28;   letter  by,   28;   activities  of, 
during  Winnebago  outbreak,  32-34; 
reference  to,  55,   96,   100,   102,   117, 
132,    142,    163,    190;    sketch   of  life 
of,      56-59;      punishments     inflicted 
by,    90;    description    by,    113;    evil 
effects   of   liquor   described   by,    140, 
141 
Snelling,    Mrs.   Josiah,    100.    160 


INDEX 


267 


Snellins,   William  J.,   102,   163 

Soap,   86;   purchase  of,   88 

Social  life,    99-102 

Soiree,  101 

Soldiers,  building  of  fort  by,  27; 
surroundingrs  of,  at  Fort  Snelling, 
73-83;  life  of,  at  Fort  Snelling, 
84-102;  occupation  of,  92;  birth- 
place of,  92;  journeys  into  Indian 
country  enjoyed  by,  93-95 ;  em- 
ployments of,  95,  96 ;  pleasures  of, 
96,  97;  carrying  of  mail  by,  97, 
98;  social  life  among,  100-102; 
quarrels  among,  102;  dependence 
of  jnissionaries  on,  148;  revival 
among,  156;  church  services  for, 
157;  expedition  escorted  by,  162, 
163;  drunkenness  among,  194:  ar- 
rival of,  at  Fort  Snelling,  212; 
ejection   of  settlers  by,   246 

Soup,  character  of,  86,  87 

South  Dakota,   Indians  in,    103 

Southwest  Company,   188 

Spain,  exploration  of  domain   of,   1 

Spanish,  rule  of,  in  West,  2,  3;  In- 
dian trade  won  from,  by  English,  4 

Speculators,  desire  of,  for  land  ces- 
sion, 178 

Speeches,  making  of,  by  Indians,  181, 
182 

Split  Upper  Lip,   123 

Spring,  eagerness  for  coming  of,  102; 
activities    of    Indians    in,    104,    105 

Squad-rooms,    75 

Squatters,    huts   of,    79    (see    Settlers) 

Starch,   purchase  of,   88 

Stairway,    73 

Stanton,   Edwin   il.,   64 

Steamboating,  beginning  of,  on  upiier 
Mississippi,    159,    160 

Steamboats,  use  of,  to  bring  supplies, 
86;  mail  carried  by,  97;  reference 
to,  159,  199;  advertisements  of, 
169;  attitude  of  Indians  toward, 
239,   240 

Steele,  Franklin,  Fort  Snelling  reser- 
vation sold  to,  51,  52;  adjustment 
with,  52;  home  of,  79;  account 
books  of,  87 


Steen,    Mr.,   43,   44 

Stevens,  Isaac  I.,  survey  of  route  for 

railroad  by,    46;    reference   to.    217 
Stevens,    Jedediah    I.,    coming    of,    to 

Fort      Snelling,       149;       work      of, 

among  Indians,  154;  preaching  by, 

157 
Stillwater    (Minnesota),    197 
Stockade,    erection    of,    25;    reference 

to,  73,   136 
Store,    purchase   of   goods   at,    87-89 
Storehouse,  75 
Storer,   William,    131 
Stoves,   use  of,  for  heating.   99 
Stowe,    Harriet    Beecher,    62 
Straits   of  Mackinac,    21 
Street,    Joseph   M.,    149,    231 
Strong     Earth,     complaint     of,     121; 

career  of,   180 
Strong  Ground,    career   of,    160 
Sugar,   86;   purchase  of,   88 
Sugar  bush,    105 
Summer,  activities  of   Indians  during, 

105 
Sumner,   Edwin   V.,  expedition   under, 

38 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,   67, 

71 
Supplies,    character   of,    26;    bringing 

of,    to    Fort    Snelling,    86;    amount 

of,  furnished  to  Indians,   182 
Supreme   Court   of   United    States,    66 
Surveyors,    destruction    of    landmarks 

of,   42 
Suspenders,  purchase  of,  88 
Sutler,     home    of,     79 ;     purchase    of 

goods      from,      87-89;      service      rf 

Brown   as,    190 
Swan,   96 
Swan  River,   179 
Switzerland,     immigrants    from,     172, 

189 

Taliaferro,  Lawrence,  28,  35,  66,  72, 
77.  78,  84,  89,  91,  98.  102,  103, 
III.  116,  139,  140,  160,  167,  178. 
179,  180.  184,  193,  221;  threat 
against,  33;  service  of,  as  Indian 
agent,  68-71 ;  letters  Hn<l  jiapers  of, 


268 


INDEX 


69,  70;  speech  by,  108;  suffering 
of  Indians  relieved  by,  109,  110; 
visit  of  Indians  to,  111;  aid  given 
to  sick  Indians  by.  111,  112;  mur- 
derers demanded  by,  113;  efforts 
of,,  to  civilize  Indians,  118;  diffi- 
culties of,  with  Sioux  and  Chip- 
jyewas,  120-134;  traders'  licenses 
granted  by,  137,  138;  disagree- 
ment between  Bailly  and,  138,  139; 
linuor  laws  enforced  by,  142-144 ; 
efforts  of,  to  induce  Indians  to 
farm,  148-150;  cooperation  of, 
with  missionaries,  149-158;  wed- 
ding ceremony  performed  by,  191  ; 
service  of,  as  mediator,  191,  192 

Tatling,  results  of,    102 

Tattoo,   85 

Taylor,  Zacliary,  service  of,  at  Fort 
Snelling,    59 

Tea   party,    197 

Teamsters,  employment  of  soldiers  as, 
96 

Temperance    societies,    143,    145 

Tennessee,  settlement  of,  14;  refer- 
ence to,   15 

Tenth  United  States  Infantry,  expe- 
dition of  companies  of,  40 ;  refer- 
ence to,   63,    64 

Tepees,   repairing  of,   105 

Teton  Sioux  Indians,  treaty  v.-ith,  208 

Theatrical    performances,    100 

Thespian   Players,    100 

Third   Artillery,    63 

Third   United   States  Infantry,    19,    21 

Thomas,    Sergeant,   223 

Throckmorton,    Captain,    169 

Timber,  destruction   of,  42 

Timber  lands,   opening  up  of,    185 

Tintatonwan   village,   83 

Tippecanoe,   Battle  of,   56 

Toopunkah  Zeze,  killing  of,  123,  124, 
231 

Tourist  traffic,  extent  of,   168,   169 

Tourists,  increase  in  number  of,  198 
(see  Travelers) 

Traders,  activities  of,  3,  4;  regula- 
tion of  activities  of,  135-145; 
granting   of   licenses   to,    137,    138; 


law  suit  begun  by,  144;  opposition 
of,  to  farming,  150;  religious  work 
among,  157,  158;  desire  of,  for 
treaty,  178,  179;  presence  of,  nt 
council,  180;  speeches  of  Indians 
concerning,  181;  payment  of  debts 
to,  183,  184;  reference  to,  187, 
192;  location  of,  at  Mendota,  188; 
service  of,  199 
Trading    companies,    development    of, 

135;    profit   of,    136 
Trading  house,    78,   79,    135 
Trading  houses,  establishment  of,   17; 

protection  for,   18;   cluster  of,  80 
Trading    posts,     location    of,     6,     135, 
136,     138;     permission     for    estab- 
lishment   of,    7;    reference   to,    187, 
188 
Training   camp,    use   of  Fort    Snelling 

as,  52,  53 
Travelers,   visits    of,    to   Fort   Snelling, 

159-175 
Traverse    des    Sioux,    treaty    of,    49, 

247 
Treaties,     making     of,     with     Indians, 
12,    13,    28,    47,    48,    176186,    208, 
247 ;     making    of,    between    tribes, 
131,    132 
Treaty  of  Ghent,  terms  of,  12,   18 
Treaty   of   Paris    (1783),    16 
Trinkets,    136 

Troops,  proposed  employment  of,  in 
mining,  25 ;  troubles  of,  during 
first  winter,  25-27;  ravages  of 
scui-vy  among,  26 ;  new  camp  for, 
27;  service  of,  in  protection  of 
frontier,  31-53;  withdrawal  of, 
from  Fort  Snelling,  52,  199  (also 
see  Soldiers) 
Truces,     making     of,     between     tribes, 

131 
Turkey     River,     removal     of     Winne- 
bagoes  from,    35,    36;    reference  to, 
47 
Turner,   P.   J.,    187 
Tutor,  service  of  Marsh  as,   100,   101 

Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,   62 

United    States,    establishment   of    mill- 


INDEX 


269 


tary  posts  by,  2 ;  agreement  of,  to 
make  peace  with  Indians,  12; 
northern  boundary  of,  16;  expan- 
sion of,  45,  46;  hostility  of  In- 
dians to,  114;  relations  of,  with 
Indians,  176-178;  agreement  of, 
with  Chipi)ewas,  184;  land  ceded 
to,   by   Sioux  in    1805,   207 

Upper  country,   extent  of,   2 

Utah,  64 

Vaccination  of   Indians,    112 

Vail,   J.,    143 

\alentine  BaU,   197 

"Valley  Forge"    (steamboat),   169 

Van  Antwerp,  Ver  Planck,   180 

Van   Cleve,   Horatio  P.,  212 

Van   Cleve,  Mrs.,   231 

Vancouver    (Washington),   47 

Vevay    (Indiana),    190 

Vinegar,  86 

Vineyard,   ililes,   179 

Virginia,    70 

"Virginia"     (steamboat),    trip    of,    up 

Mississippi  River,   159,   160 
Volga  River,  41 
Voyageurs,   136,   157,   188 

Wabasha  (Chief),  33,  117;  land  sold 
by,  35 ;  meeting  of  couriers  at  vil- 
lage of,  98;  missionary  at  village 
of,  154;  village  of,  171;  payment 
of  annuities  to  Indians  under,   185 

Wabasha's  Prairie,  35 

Wahpakoota  Sioux  Indians,  treaty 
with,  247 

Wahpeton  Sioux  Indians,  treaty  with, 
247 

Wall  around  Fort  Snelling,  descrip- 
tion  of,   73,    74,   76 

Wakh-pa-koo-tay,    243 

Wakinyantanka,    83 

Wamditanka,    83 

Wapsipinicon    River,    42 

War  Department,  19,  22,  39,  44, 
160;  naming  of  Fort  Snelling  by, 
29,  30;  attitude  of,  toward  Fort 
Snelling,  31;  Indian  affairs  placed 
under   control   of,   67 


War  of  1812,  English  supported  by 
Indians  during,  8-12;  reference  to, 
18,  209;  service  of  Snelling  during, 
57;  service  of  Taliaferro  in,  70 

War  parties,    106 

Warfare,  history  of,  between  Siuox 
and   Chippewas,    119-134 

"Warrior"    (steamboat),    151,    164 

Warriors,  desire  of,  to  take  part  in 
council,    181 

Washington,    George,    168 

Wasliington    (Connecticut),   151 

Washington,  D.  C,  46,  58,  62,  64, 
98,  192;  visit  of  Indians  to,  68. 
115,  116,  179;  treaty  with  Sioux 
at,   184 

Washington  ^fouument  Association, 
197 

Wasliington  Territory,  46 

Washington's  birthday,  celebration  of, 
100 

Water  power,    178 

Weapons,   stock   of,    76,    77 

Webb,  James,  journey  of,  to  Fort 
Armstrong,    117 

Webster,  Daniel,  statement  by,   59 

Weddings,    191 

West,  prediction  of  Carver  concern- 
ing, 1,  2;  foreign  jurisdictions  in, 
2,  3;  English  supported  by  In- 
dians in,  8-12;  rapid  development 
of,  14;  cause  of  trouble  in,  15; 
influence  of  Fort  Snelling  in,  52; 
service  of  Canby  in,  65 ;  work  of 
missionaries    in,    146 

West  Point  Military  Academy,  62,  63, 
100 

Westward  movement,   14,   15 

Wheat,  spoiling  of,   86;  raising  of,  95 

Wheeling    (West  Virginia),    161 

Wheelwrights,    92 

Whiskey,  86;  drinking  of,  by  sol- 
diers, 89;  efforts  to  suppress  tralTic 
in,  139145;  smuggling  of,  142, 
113;  destruction  of,  14:5,  Mt.2i:i; 
tralTic   in.    194,    236 

Whistler.   Captain,  21.   211 

White   Head,   118 

Whitney,    Asa,   217 


270 


INDEX 


Whooping   cough,    epidemic   of,    191 

Widows,   fund   for  relief  of,   87 

Wilcox,    Captain,    32 

Williams,   Lieutenant,   99 

Williamson,  Thomas  S.,  110;  work 
of,    among   Indians,    1.54-157 

Williamson,    Mrs.   Thomas    S.,    154 

Wines,  seizure  of,  143 ;  giving  of,  to 
Indians,    144 

Winnebago  Indians,  imwillingness  of, 
to  make  treaty,  13 ;  attempt  of,  to 
delay  troops,  21,  22;  outbreak  cf, 
32-34;  removal  of,  to  new  reserva- 
tion, 35-37,  48;  reference  to,  41, 
42,  177,  211,  236;  treaty  with, 
47;  new  reservation  for,  48;  dis- 
turbances among,  48,  49;  language 
of,   174 

Winnebago   War,    214    - 

Winnipeg,    188 

Winona    (Minnef;ota) ,    35 

Winter,  difficulty  in  securing  mail 
during,  97-99;  li'fe  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing  during,  99-102;  life  among 
Indians    during,    104.    109,    110 

Wisconsin,   Xicollet  in,    3;    Indian  out- 


break in,  32-34 ;  desire  of  Winne- 
bagoes  to  return  to,  36;  reference 
to,  168;  desire  for  land  cession  in, 
178;   bishop  of,   242 

Wisconsin,  Territory  of,  32,  ISO; 
marshal  of,   195 

Wisconsin    Historical    Society,    242 

Wisconsin  River,  19,  20,  34;  canal 
between  Fox  River  and,  20 

Women,  social  life  of,  at  fort,  100- 
102 

Wood,  Doctor,  aid  given  to  sick  In- 
dians by,    111,   112 

Wood,  securing  of,  for  fuel,   99 

Woods,  Samuel,  expedition  under,  38, 
41-45;  reference  to,  40;  fort  estab- 
lished by,  44,  45 

Wool,  John  E.,   194 

Wyandot   Indians,   treaty  with.   208 

Yankton  Sioux  Indians,  half-breed 
killed   by,    37;    treaty   with,    208 

Yeast  powder,  purchase  of,   88 

Yellowstone  Expedition,  20 ;  failure 
of,   21 

Yellowstone  River,  fort  at  mouth  of,  19 


This  book  is  DUE  on  therlast  date  stamped  below 


AUG  2      1929 

1  8  193i 
JUN  4     1934' 

^P"^     6  193T 
MPR  ^  ^  1938 


^: 


»\5B^ 


%    \ 


MAY  28 

AUG  1 2  1950 
D£C  2  4  1952 
MAR  1  2  1958 

MAR  2    1962 

Form  L-9-10to-5,'28 


itci 


31976 


UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 


tui  A VGELES 
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F 


up  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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AA    000  525  122    8 


